Chapter 2

"Tell the truth. Did you open it?" Mrs. Couser jabbed a finger inches from my face. "I knew something felt off. Charging one cent to hold packages? So this was the plan the whole time? You see something expensive and steal it?"

My head buzzed as heat rushed to my face.

"Mrs. Couser, how can you even say that? I started this pickup station to help everyone out. One cent doesn't even cover the electricity. Why would I touch your stuff?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Mrs. Tate cut in with a sneer. "One cent isn't much, sure. But some people stay broke so long they get greedy the second they see something expensive. Three grand is probably more than you'd make in years holding packages."

"Mrs. Tate!" My hands were shaking. "I've helped everyone here for six months. Has a single package ever gone missing? Have I ever taken one extra cent?"

"That's because nothing valuable showed up before!" Mrs. Couser snapped, waving the ripped empty box around. "Then a gold necklace finally arrives, and suddenly it disappears. Look at this cheap little setup, collecting pennies all day. You expect me to believe you weren't tempted?"

"Mrs. Couser, you can't accuse me without proof." I forced myself to stay calm. "There's a security camera here. I'll pull up the footage right now, and we'll see what actually happened."

The second I mentioned the camera, both of them stiffened.

I turned and went inside, pulling up the security app on my computer.

Then—

[System Notification: Device Offline. Last Connection: 10:23 A.M.]

Offline?

My stomach dropped. I refreshed the page over and over, checked the internet connection, but the screen stayed black.

"What about the footage?" Mrs. Couser demanded.

"The camera... I don't know why it's offline."

"Offline?" Mrs. Tate smirked. "Wow, what a coincidence. It didn't break yesterday or tomorrow. Just when Mrs. Couser's necklace disappeared? Annie, did you shut it off yourself?"

Mrs. Couser got even louder. "Exactly! You look guilty as hell. First you disable the camera, then you steal my necklace. Wow. You really planned this out."

"That's not true!" I rushed to explain. "It could be a wiring problem or—"

"Or what?" Mrs. Couser cut me off. "A three-thousand-dollar necklace goes missing here, and suddenly the camera's down? That's way too convenient."

By then, a bunch of neighbors had gathered outside the door.

They whispered to each other, giving me uncertain looks.

"Mrs. Couser lost a necklace? Three thousand dollars?"

"Annie stole it? No way..."

"But the camera dying right now is kinda suspicious..."

"She spends all day doing this for one cent. Maybe something is weird..."

Their whispers hit me like ice water.

I forced my shaking voice steady.

"Mrs. Couser, the pickup station only does basic check-ins. I can't open and inspect every package. If something arrives damaged, you're supposed to contact the delivery company first. You can't just assume I—"

"Bullshit!" she snapped, cutting me off. "It disappeared here. If you didn't take it, then who did? This whole shady setup of yours! If you don't hand over my necklace today, I'm calling the cops. I'll shut this place down, and you can rot in jail."

"Yeah, call the cops," Mrs. Tate chimed in. "People like her should be arrested."

Call the cops?

Shut down my pickup station?

I looked at their ugly expressions, then at the neighbors standing there silently, either doubtful or avoiding my eyes. A heavy wave of sadness hit me all at once.