“What, you waded across the creek that separated my house from the woods and took it?” Annie’s face was incredulous.
“Yes.” Serena’s gaze landed on her. “See, we have the same mind.”
“No, no we don’t.” Annie’s brows rose as she shook her head.
“I’ve been leaving things for you because I wanted to remind you of our lake house. And also to thank you for—” Serena broke off and bit her lip.
Thank me for what? And “our” lake house? Annie couldn’t help wondering, but Serena didn’t elaborate.
“Did you like finding them?” The hopeful tone was back in Serena’s voice.
“No. I thought I was losing my mind.” Annie forced herself to take a careful breath. She needed to stay calm, to figure out what to do. “I can’t believe you were the one who’s been taking things from our house all this time. I thought I was so careless, always losing things.”
“I didn’t think you would notice. They were just little things, things I didn’t think you’d even remember.” Serena turned wide eyes on Annie, as if it were perfectly normal to go onto someone’s private property to take things that didn’t belong to her.
“You . . .” Annie was at a loss for words. “Wait, did you take my sunglasses?”
“Yes.” Serena’s face lit up, as if Annie had just complimented her, instead of accusing her of stealing her sunglasses right out of her purse. “It was so crowded at the shopping center for the Chinese New Year celebration that I was able to get up close to you. I was standing right behind you, and the sunglasses were just there in that outside pocket. I only took them because I could. I was going to put them back. But then you walked away before I could return them.”
“Then what were they doing in my bedroom?”
“I wanted to give them back to you.” Serena’s face was all guileless innocence, like a young child’s.
“Why didn’t you just hand them to me, instead of making me think I was losing my mind?” Annie’s voice rose.
“I . . .” Serena looked at her helplessly. “I didn’t know it was going to cause you to have a panic attack. I’m sorry.”
Annie buried her face into both of her hands. This couldn’t be happening. But at the same time, relief coursed through her, making her almost limp. She wasn’t losing her mind. Serena had been the one who’d been taking stuff from her and then leaving it for her to find. It was such a huge load off her, such a relief, knowing she hadn’t been the one doing things and not remembering them.
When she finally dropped her hands, she found Serena watching her curiously. Annie’s face heated with anger. “I really thought I was losing it, and all this time, it was you.”
Serena nodded. They stared at each other.
“How?” Annie finally said out loud. “How did you know we were in Kauai? And how did you even find us here?” She needed some answers.
Serena’s mouth worked, opening and closing before she finally confessed. “Just after the new year, I heard two women talking one day when I was up at the lake house. They were walking by your house, and I heard one say that you guys had just moved to Kauai. I couldn’t believe you were gone. That you sold the dream house and had left.” Her green eyes focused on Annie. “I don’t blame you, I guess, after what happened. I was shocked, though, at the time.”
“But you must have guessed why we moved here, if you’ve been watching us.” Annie’s tone was accusing.
Serena nodded. “I suspected. But I guess I never thought you’d really leave. You seemed to love the house as much as Danny and I did—I couldn’t imagine that you’d just go.”
“Okay, but how did you know where in Kauai we were?” Annie was trying to piece the puzzle together.
“Um.” Serena looked down and, for the first time, had the grace to look embarrassed. “I used to look in your mailbox.”
“You used to look in our mailbox.” Annie mimicked her and then stared, incredulous that this woman had violated their privacy so much and they’d had no clue. They really were that gullible couple from a true crime show who were just sitting ducks for criminals and stalkers. Annie’s mouth parted slightly, and she shook her head as if that would make all this more believable.
“Yes. I did. And one day, there was a letter from a Samantha Lin from Kapaa in Hawaii. I took a picture of the envelope because I had a feeling the address would come in handy one day.” Serena ran her hand through her auburn curls, pulling on the ends so hard that her hair sprang back when she let go.
“You took a picture of it.” Annie was starting to feel like a parrot, but she couldn’t stop herself from repeating Serena’s words. Maybe if she said it out loud, the words would sink in and make sense.
“Yes.” Serena’s face brightened. “And that’s how I found you here.”
“You found us.” Annie stopped and gave her own cheek a light pat, as if that would stop her from repeating everything the other woman was saying. “I can’t believe this. You looked through our mailbox, took pictures of our mail, and then followed us here? Was that the only mail you took a picture of?”
“No.” Serena’s shoulders lifted slightly, and she pulled her lips together. “I don’t know why I did it. I guess sometimes I pretended those letters were addressed to me, that I knew people in far-off places like Hawaii and Taiwan. But I’m glad I did, because otherwise, I’d never have found you.” She looked at Annie, worry clouding her eyes, as if waiting to see whether Annie would believe her.
“You’d never have found us here.” Annie slapped herself again. Stop. She needed to stop repeating everything Serena said. But she just couldn’t wrap her mind around any of this.
“I’m glad I did because look how much we bonded. Look how much we have in common. It’s like we’re the same person.” Serena looked more like a little girl caught doing something naughty than a potentially dangerous stalker who’d been watching her for years.
Annie couldn’t deny they had bonded over shared experiences and thoughts. She’d felt close to the younger woman. Her breath hitched as a scary thought entered her mind: Did that mean she was as delusional as Serena?
32
Annie’s phone dinged and they both looked at it. It was Sam.
S: The landline is dead. If you need me, you’ll have to use my cell. Hope the cell towers don’t die too.
A: I tried to call earlier.
S: Everything okay?
Annie looked up. No, everything was not okay. She wanted Serena out, but now, something deep inside was telling her Serena wanted something. It was as if she knew Serena’s mind, knew she was leading up to something. That thought scared Annie, even as it held her hostage, unwilling to leave the Ohana until Serena finally spilled out the truth.
If she told Sam she was in danger, within minutes, her sister would be here with a baseball bat, demanding that Serena get out. Sam might be her irritating younger sister who always seemed to poke at Annie’s vulnerable parts, but if anyone threatened one of their family, Sam would fight that person to the death. And right now, Annie needed answers more than a dead body. She would get the truth out of Serena.