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THE CITY EXCURSION ABORTED, Robin tackled Saturday morning chores. She changed the bedsheets and was ironing a load of clean laundry when her doorbell rang—once, twice—followed by pounding on the door.
Alarmed, Robin switched off the iron and hurried to answer. “Coming!”
The knocking continued.
“Hold your horses.” As Robin reached to open the door, her preservation instincts kicked in. “Who’s there?” she asked warily.
A shrill voice yelled, “It’s Vanessa Martin! Damn it, Robin, open up.”
Robin considered not answering the door and sparing herself an unpleasant encounter with Ben’s ex, but Vanessa knew she was there. Ignoring her might only escalate her histrionics. Once again, Robin resigned herself to playing the role of adult.
“All right, Vanessa. I’ll open the door so we can talk, but can you please calm down?”
The pounding ceased. And after brief silence, she said, “Robin, please. This is very serious. You need to let me in.”
She sounded less manic, so Robin undid the lock and slowly opened the door.
Vanessa paced on her doorstep in an agitated state of disarray. She wore jeans and a soiled sweatshirt with bedroom slippers on her feet. Blond strands escaped the red scrunchie attempting to contain her unruly hair. Without waiting for an invitation, Vanessa shoved Robin aside and burst into the house.
“Where is she? Nina? Here, girl.”
“Vanessa, hold on.” Robin reached for her arm, hoping to calm her, regretting she’d opened the door.
Vanessa shook off Robin’s hand. “What have you done with our dog?” Bloodshot eyes blazed from her pallid face.
Robin’s eyes darted around the room as she checked for any sharp or heavy objects Vanessa might use as a weapon. Other than a table lamp, she didn’t see anything dangerous that Vanessa could lift. Yesterday, Ben had described his ex as pretty bent out of shape—an understatement unless she’d gotten a lot angrier overnight.
Robin tried to keep her rising anxiety out of her voice. At least one of them should remain civil. “Vanessa, what makes you think I have your dog?”
“Because you were spotted!” Flecks of spittle flew from her lips. “You picked her up from the groomer yesterday.” A hint of stale morning breath assaulted Robin’s nose as Vanessa drew her face in close. “Where is she?”
Robin shook her head, taking a step back. “I don’t have Nina. Ben called me yesterday and told me she’d been taken from a groomer. I was at work. I couldn’t have picked her up. Vanessa, I can imagine how upset you and the children are, but I had nothing to do with it.” Robin swallowed, her throat dry. “Have you notified the police?”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes. “Maybe I should call them right now.”
Robin shrugged. “Okay.” She was thinking the same thing.
Vanessa glared at her then called out the dog’s name again. She started toward the kitchen. “Nina! Where are you, girl?”
Robin trailed after her. The situation had escalated into a home invasion. Maybe she should call Ben, but she didn’t dare turn her back on Vanessa.
“Go ahead and look around,” Robin conceded. Reverse psychology, aikido, whatever. She needed a way to deescalate the situation.
Vanessa traipsed through the house, room by room, calling for the dog. Robin followed a short distance behind, her emotions ping-ponging from pity to distress to resentment. She fought to keep calm as Vanessa banged open closet doors. They ended up at the laundry room, where Robin’s stack of ironing waited.
Vanessa eyed the ironing board, clothes, and appliances. Then her shoulders slumped, and a sob broke from her. “Did you hurt her?”
“Of course not.” The suggestion horrified Robin. “I’d never do anything like that.” Somehow, she’d become Godzilla to the beleaguered family. It wasn’t like she’d taken Ben from them. Vanessa had kicked him out. “Who claimed to see me take Nina?”
Vanessa swiped a hand across her streaming eyes. “The groomer described you to a tee.”
“To a... described me to you?”
Vanessa shook her head, sniffling. “To my friend.”
“Would that friend be Gloria Reyes?”
Vanessa’s expression became guarded. “What difference does that make?”
All the difference in the world. A shiver ran down Robin’s spine. “Your friend made a mistake, Vanessa. Why don’t you ask the groomer yourself?”
Vanessa frowned. “Are you calling my friend a liar?”
It’s pointless. Vanessa regarded Gloria as an ally and Robin as a threat to the family. She couldn’t drive a wedge between the two of them. She would only trigger Vanessa again, which was the last thing she wanted. She decided to call Ben the moment she safely could. She wondered if he’d spoken with Gloria yet. If so, it hadn’t helped. Robin hoped Gloria hadn’t harmed the children’s dog.
She cleared her throat. “Would you like a glass of water?”
Vanessa shook her head. Her crying stopped, she appeared spent.
“Then I think you should go,” Robin said gently. “Your children need you.”
Head down, Vanessa silently walked past Robin toward the front door. She followed, hoping the confrontation had ended. Vanessa opened the door and stepped outside. Robin waited to see her go to her car, but on the front steps, Vanessa halted. She knelt and picked something up off the ground.
A guttural sound rose from her throat as she stood, holding out a dog collar. “Liar! You did take her.”
Robin stared at the collar, speechless.
“Don’t you hurt her.” Vanessa’s breathing came in ragged gasps. “Or you’ll pay.” She shook the collar in Robin’s face. “I’ll fucking kill you!” Swinging the collar, she smacked Robin across the cheek with it.
Robin cried out, her arms involuntarily rising to shield her head against further attack.
Again, Vanessa waved the collar at her. “This isn’t over.” She whirled and ran down the steps.
Robin didn’t lower her arms until Vanessa got into her car. When she drove off, Robin let out a long breath. She scanned the street in both directions and saw no one, but she knew Gloria had been there. Vanessa had hit the mark. This wasn’t over. It wouldn’t be until Gloria Reyes got what she wanted.