As Liza sat on the floor with Annie in her arms, Isabel and Katherine
looked around the room awkwardly. Neither of them knew what to say, and
both were painfully aware that "I'm sorry" would be not only insufficient,
but ridiculous.
"I can't believe it," Liza whispered. "Oh, Annie."
"I'll call the police," Isabel said softly, and Katherine followed her down the hall to the kitchen.
Annie wiped her eyes and sat up. She leaned against the bed, and Liza sat next to her and drew her partner's head onto her shoulder.
"It's just a thing, right?" Annie said, her voice wavering. "I shouldn't be so upset."
"It's all right," Liza whispered into Annie's hair. "It's not just any thing - it was very special."
"I've got to find it, Liza," Annie said, her tears flowing again. "Nana would never - no, Nana would forgive me, but that would be even harder. I couldn't live with myself." She was silent a moment, then sat up. One of her slippers lay next to her beside the bed. She picked it up, and all of a sudden hurled it across the room. It hit the dresser with a weak thunk that seemed to mock Annie's anger.
"How COULD they?" she shouted, sitting up. "How COULD they, Liza? My necklace -how could they??"
Just then Isabel came back into the room. "The police will be here in less than an hour," she said. She crouched down in front of the two women, who in their grief looked as young and helpless as they had at sixteen. Their expressions reminded her of the day they had been "discovered."
"Oh, my dears," she said, placing one hand on each woman's face. Liza's lip trembled at the woman's kind expression, and Isabel's heat broke. She sat between the girls and wrapped an arm around each. Liza wept on her shoulder. Annie just sat there a moment, then jumped up and began tearing the room apart. She flung drawers on the floor, threw sheets off the bed.
"Annie, dear?" Isabel said. Liza clung to her arm, wanting to go to her partner but afraid that Annie would fling her aside - dear, gentle Annie, who had never been violent a day in her life. She looked possessed, and Liza was frightened.
"Maybe it's still here," Annie said, her voice full of panic. "Maybe - maybe they dropped it."
Liza got up, and placed her hands on Annie's shoulders. Annie seemed to look right through her, glancing wildly about the room.
"Annie, look at me. Darling, look at me. It's gone."
Annie's face softened, and it seemed as though she would cry again. But instead, she pushed past Liza and rushed down the hallway.
"I'm going to wait for the police," she said, flinging open the door. Liza, Isabel and Katherine all followed her out onto the porch. They hung back as she paced the front porch, then crouched down on her hands and knees to peer through the wooden boards.
"Oh, Annie," Liza whispered. She turned to Katherine, who had taken her hand. "Katherine, why Annie's necklace? Who?"
Just then a police cruiser turned onto the street, and two men climbed out. One was big and muscular, with dark hair and a twenty-to-eight mustache. The other was small, light-haired and wiry with what seemed like a permanent grimace.
"Robbery?" the burly one asked, as they came up the stairs. Liza nodded. She stepped forward, helping Annie up.
"Yes," she said. "I'm Liza, and this is Annie."
"May we come in?" the wiry one asked. They both pulled out badges. The burly one was Officer Hale, the wiry one Officer Murray. Liza opened the door and they walked in.
Liza led them through the house, pointing out what had been taken or knocked over. Annie hung back with Isabel and Katherine. When they reached the bedroom, Liza showed the officers all the drawers that used to hold jewelry and valuables. When she reached the drawer that the necklace had been in, her voice trembled.
"This is the thing we want back the most," she said. "Annie's family heirloom necklace. Please, if you can find anything." Her voice wavered and she took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry in front of the officers - hated weeping in front of strangers.
"We'll try, ma'am," Officer Hale said. "Usually these types of things are sold - " A cry from Annie, and Katherine gripped her hand - "So one of the places we'll check will be the local pawn shops and antique dealers." He handed a form to Liza, instructed her to fill out descriptions of the stolen items and deliver it to the police station.
"Who do you think did this?" Liza asked.
"Random crime," Officer Murray said dispassionately. "Some kids lookin' for things to sell for cash." He looked around again, then the officers headed out towards the door.
"We'll call with any leads. Meanwhile ,clean up.try to maintain your normal lives." The officers left.
"He's right," Annie said. "Let's get this place cleaned up, get those forms to the station, then we'll leave for Maine."
"Annie," Liza said gently, "We don't have to go right away. We can stay for a few days, check out the pawn shops."
Annie stopped and looked at her partner, then at Isabel and Katherine.
"A few days," she said, looking around. "I can't stay here."
"I can't believe it," Liza whispered. "Oh, Annie."
"I'll call the police," Isabel said softly, and Katherine followed her down the hall to the kitchen.
Annie wiped her eyes and sat up. She leaned against the bed, and Liza sat next to her and drew her partner's head onto her shoulder.
"It's just a thing, right?" Annie said, her voice wavering. "I shouldn't be so upset."
"It's all right," Liza whispered into Annie's hair. "It's not just any thing - it was very special."
"I've got to find it, Liza," Annie said, her tears flowing again. "Nana would never - no, Nana would forgive me, but that would be even harder. I couldn't live with myself." She was silent a moment, then sat up. One of her slippers lay next to her beside the bed. She picked it up, and all of a sudden hurled it across the room. It hit the dresser with a weak thunk that seemed to mock Annie's anger.
"How COULD they?" she shouted, sitting up. "How COULD they, Liza? My necklace -how could they??"
Just then Isabel came back into the room. "The police will be here in less than an hour," she said. She crouched down in front of the two women, who in their grief looked as young and helpless as they had at sixteen. Their expressions reminded her of the day they had been "discovered."
"Oh, my dears," she said, placing one hand on each woman's face. Liza's lip trembled at the woman's kind expression, and Isabel's heat broke. She sat between the girls and wrapped an arm around each. Liza wept on her shoulder. Annie just sat there a moment, then jumped up and began tearing the room apart. She flung drawers on the floor, threw sheets off the bed.
"Annie, dear?" Isabel said. Liza clung to her arm, wanting to go to her partner but afraid that Annie would fling her aside - dear, gentle Annie, who had never been violent a day in her life. She looked possessed, and Liza was frightened.
"Maybe it's still here," Annie said, her voice full of panic. "Maybe - maybe they dropped it."
Liza got up, and placed her hands on Annie's shoulders. Annie seemed to look right through her, glancing wildly about the room.
"Annie, look at me. Darling, look at me. It's gone."
Annie's face softened, and it seemed as though she would cry again. But instead, she pushed past Liza and rushed down the hallway.
"I'm going to wait for the police," she said, flinging open the door. Liza, Isabel and Katherine all followed her out onto the porch. They hung back as she paced the front porch, then crouched down on her hands and knees to peer through the wooden boards.
"Oh, Annie," Liza whispered. She turned to Katherine, who had taken her hand. "Katherine, why Annie's necklace? Who?"
Just then a police cruiser turned onto the street, and two men climbed out. One was big and muscular, with dark hair and a twenty-to-eight mustache. The other was small, light-haired and wiry with what seemed like a permanent grimace.
"Robbery?" the burly one asked, as they came up the stairs. Liza nodded. She stepped forward, helping Annie up.
"Yes," she said. "I'm Liza, and this is Annie."
"May we come in?" the wiry one asked. They both pulled out badges. The burly one was Officer Hale, the wiry one Officer Murray. Liza opened the door and they walked in.
Liza led them through the house, pointing out what had been taken or knocked over. Annie hung back with Isabel and Katherine. When they reached the bedroom, Liza showed the officers all the drawers that used to hold jewelry and valuables. When she reached the drawer that the necklace had been in, her voice trembled.
"This is the thing we want back the most," she said. "Annie's family heirloom necklace. Please, if you can find anything." Her voice wavered and she took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry in front of the officers - hated weeping in front of strangers.
"We'll try, ma'am," Officer Hale said. "Usually these types of things are sold - " A cry from Annie, and Katherine gripped her hand - "So one of the places we'll check will be the local pawn shops and antique dealers." He handed a form to Liza, instructed her to fill out descriptions of the stolen items and deliver it to the police station.
"Who do you think did this?" Liza asked.
"Random crime," Officer Murray said dispassionately. "Some kids lookin' for things to sell for cash." He looked around again, then the officers headed out towards the door.
"We'll call with any leads. Meanwhile ,clean up.try to maintain your normal lives." The officers left.
"He's right," Annie said. "Let's get this place cleaned up, get those forms to the station, then we'll leave for Maine."
"Annie," Liza said gently, "We don't have to go right away. We can stay for a few days, check out the pawn shops."
Annie stopped and looked at her partner, then at Isabel and Katherine.
"A few days," she said, looking around. "I can't stay here."