Neighborhood Watch (7 page)

“I will, Philip.”

“Thank you, Nikki. Thank you for your time and effort. I do appreciate it, even though some might not.”

He could almost hear her beaming with pride.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I’ll speak to you later about this matter and a few others.”

“Fine,” she said and hung up.

Philip cradled the receiver. He felt no guilt, no remorse. He had to do what he had to do for the good of the development. It came with the responsibility, the burden of leadership.

They should be grateful they had a man like him. Most of them were. He took a deep

breath, a breath of pride, and, after a moment more of thought, returned to his cost analysis for the building on lot thirty-eight.

3

“WHAT’STHIS?” Teddy said as they pulled up to their driveway.

Nikki Stanley and a vibrant redhead who wore her hair in a neat pageboy sat on Teddy and Kristin’s front steps chatting nonchalantly. The redhead had skin as clear and white as fresh milk, spotted on the tops of her cheeks with tiny orange freckles. Her lips had that same bright orange tint that made wearing lipstick unnecessary. When they both stood up, Nikki Stanley appeared almost childlike in height and size beside her companion. Teddy pressed the remote to open the garage door but stopped on the driveway.

The two women started toward them. Nikki wore a far more serious expression, her eyes small and intent. The redhead was long legged with slim shoulders and a full bosom that announced itself proudly against her white cotton three-quarter-length-sleeve sweater.

Nikki wore an ankle-length peasant skirt, dark blue blouse, and blue cardigan sweater.

“Hello,” Nikki Stanley said as Teddy, Kristin, and Jennifer emerged from their brown Skylark. The two-year-old moderately priced vehicle and Kristin’s Ford Escort seemed out of place in the large two-car garage attached to this expensive home. Teddy’s earlier quick perusal of the vehicles in front or in the garages of the other homes revealed Mercedes, Cadillacs, and a Lexus. He had also spotted a Jag.

“Hi,” Kristin said. Jennifer, as always, drew as close as possible to her parents when confronting strangers. She fixed her eyes on the two women and held Kristin’s hand.

“This is Jeannette Levine,” Nikki Stanley said. “She lives right across the street.”

“Everyone simply calls me Jean. We’re here to welcome you to Emerald Lakes.” She

had a warm smile and soft blue eyes. Nikki flashed a perfunctory smile.

“Pleased to meet you,” Kristin said shaking her hand. Teddy extended his.

“I’m Teddy Morris. This is my wife, Kristin, and our daughter, Jennifer,” Teddy said.

Kristin pulled Jennifer in front of her and rested her hands on Jennifer’s shoulders.

“Hi, Jennifer,” Jeannette said. “How old are you?”

“Five,” Jennifer replied.

“Five? That’s wonderful. Terri Sue is six. She finally has a friend close to her age. Her nine-year-old brother, George, is getting a bit too rough for her,” Jean said, smiling at Kristin and Teddy.

“You hear that, honey? You’ll have a new friend,” Kristin said. Jennifer drew back, still eyeing Nikki Stanley suspiciously.

Teddy opened the car trunk. “First thing you do when you move into a new home is go to the supermarket,” he said. Nikki’s eyes went to their car.

“Let us help you with your groceries,” she offered.

“Oh, that’s very kind of you,” Kristin said. “But—”

“It’s all right. We don’t mind,” Nikki said anticipating Kristin’s response.

“Thanks,” Kristin said shrugging. The women gathered around the car trunk and Teddy began taking out the bags.

“Me too, Daddy,” Jennifer said, holding out her arms. He chose the smallest and lightest bag and placed it in her hands. She clung to it proudly and started toward the open garage.

“You shouldn’t be lifting one that heavy,” Nikki said, practically seizing the bag Kristin had started to accept.

“Oh, nothing’s that heavy,” Kristin said, surprised her neighbor had spotted her

pregnancy so quickly. The women took two bags a piece and followed Teddy through the side door from the garage into the kitchen. They placed the bags on the counter.

“I’ll get the rest,” Teddy said. “Thanks.”

“I’ll help you, Daddy,” Jennifer cried and raced out behind him.

“It’s so convenient to shop here,” Kristin began. “Just a few minutes away, no problems parking, no lines at the checkout counter . . .”

“Yes,” Jean said, “and Farmer’s, a small market in Sandburg, will even deliver if you can’t get to the store yourself.”

“Oh?”

“But they charge considerably more for everything,” Nikki added, her lips twisting with obvious disapproval. Without instruction, she began unloading the bags of groceries. She went directly to the cabinet in the right corner and began putting away the staples. Kristin stepped back and smiled quizzically. How did she know I wanted them there? she

wondered. When Nikki turned to get some more, she saw the look on Kristin’s face.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I just assumed you wanted them in here.”

“Well, I suppose that’s fine,” Kristin said.

“It’s where Elaine kept her staple items,” Jean explained.

“Oh?”

“It’s where they belong anyway,” Nikki said. “You should keep your cold cereals in here.

This cabinet is perfect for the jar goods,” she continued as if she were selling the house.

“You can display a lot and they’re easy to reach.”

“That’s where we keep ours,” Jean added.

“You mean you have the same kitchen cabinets, the same design?” Kristin asked.

“Practically. My home is the one across the street and to the right,” Jean said. “Nikki lives two houses up.”

“They’re both beautiful houses,” Kristin said.

“Thank you,” Nikki said. “Actually, all the homes in Emerald Lakes are exceptional,”

she added as if it were a crime to lord your house over another in the development.

“Here’s all of it,” Teddy announced, struggling to get the last three bags on the counter.

Jean rushed forward to grab the middle one. “Thanks. I feel like a contortionist,” he said, moving his hip against the counter. He placed the bags carefully and looked at Kristin, discerning a strange expression on her face. “Everything all right?” he asked instinctively.

“Fine,” she said. “Nikki and Jean were just showing me exactly where to put

everything.”

“Oh?”

“An organized kitchen makes it all so much easier,” Nikki said. “These houses were all designed to be as efficient as possible when it comes to domestic chores. If you employ a cleaning girl, even on a part-time basis, you’ll want to hire one from the Marsh Agency.

They’re all pretty well schooled in how our homes are organized—where the vacuums

and cleaning materials are kept, where to put the bath towels for the guest rooms, how to organize your dishes, pans, and pottery . . .”

“You mean everyone does it all the same way?” Teddy asked, smiling.

“Essentially. As I said, it’s the way the homes were designed,” Nikki replied.

“Some diversity on the outside, but conformity on the inside,” Jean Levine recited as if it were the motto of Emerald Lakes.

“Um, interesting,” Teddy said, folding his arms and leaning against the counter. “So, how long have you guys been here?”

“Nikki was here at the very beginning. What’s that, about five years, Nikki?”

“Five years and seven months this May 5th.”

“Sid and I moved in four years ago. Nikki’s on the board of directors,” Jean added.

“They know that already, Jean,” Nikki snapped. Teddy considered the diminutive

woman. He hadn’t really looked at her closely at the interview, directing himself more to Philip Slater. She had a firmness which made her size deceptive, and her eyes had that no-nonsense look.

“Oh,” he repeated, the name sinking in. “You’re Bill Stanley’s wife? The banker?”

“Around here, Bill’s known as Nikki’s husband,” Jean quipped. Nikki shot her a look of displeasure, but Jean only laughed. “My husband’s a broker with Gantz and Gantz on

Wall Street,” Jean said.

“How long is his commute?” Kristin asked.

“About an hour and ten, which isn’t bad when you consider what he comes home to,”

she added. Teddy raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Oh, I didn’t mean . . .” She looked again at Nikki who smirked with clear disapproval. “I meant our home, this beautiful development, the lake . . .”

“Of course,” Teddy said. “But I’m sure he looks forward to all of it,” he added with an impish grin. Jean’s cream complexion tinted crimson.

“Teddy, you’re embarrassing her,” Kristin chastised. “You know she didn’t mean that.”

“Jean often has trouble saying what she means,” Nikki commented, her eyes fixed on the tall redhead, who giggled nervously again.

“Do you have any children, Nikki?” Kristin asked.

“Bill and I have an eight-year-old son, Graham, and a ten-year-old daughter, Heather,”

she said quickly.

“I love those names. That’s what we’ve got to start doing,” Kristin said turning to Teddy,

“going through that book of names again.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” Nikki asked.

“No. We didn’t opt for that. Surprise is still important,” Teddy said. “Of course, Jennifer would like a little brother, right, Peanut?”

She nodded.

“And what name would you like him to have if your mother does have a boy?” Jean

asked her.

Jennifer shrugged and then said, “Kermit.”

“Kermit?”

Jennifer looked up at Kristin to see if she had said something wrong.

“Like the frog,” Kristin added for her.

“Oh. Ooooo, of course. Kermit.” Jean stopped smiling. “You wouldn’t . . .” She shook her head.

“No,” Kristin said laughing. “We’re going to do the research and come up with

something we both like.”

“We’d be glad to help,” Jean said. “Everyone loves poking his or her nose into everyone else’s business here.”

“Jean makes it sound as if we’re all a bunch of gossips. We’re just eager to help each other. The residents of Emerald Lakes are like an extended family.”

“Yes, we’re a kibbutz,” Jean joked. Teddy laughed. He liked her and enjoyed the way she obviously annoyed her more sober friend from time to time.

“We had better put the perishables away,” Nikki reminded them, and plucked the quart of low-fat milk from the bag.

“Right,” Kristin said digging in.

“Oh, you bought Grain Flakes,” Jean said holding up the box. “Isn’t that funny? We’re all buying that these days.”

“It’s got the best fiber content and nutrition,” Nikki said with a tone of approval.

“Yes. Eileen found it first, didn’t she?” Jean asked.

“No, I did,” Nikki claimed.

“Are you sure? I recall her list had it underlined.”

“Because I told her about it,” Nikki insisted. Jean nodded but she still looked skeptical.

“You can ask her yourself,” Nikki snapped.

Jean smiled at the surprised Morrises, who stood back watching and listening to them argue about who should get credit for discovering a good cold cereal.

“We often share our grocery list, pointing out bargains and better products,” she

explained.

“That’s very nice,” Teddy said quickly.

“How do you do that?” Kristin asked. Teddy raised his eyes. He could hear the

underlying tone of ridicule in her voice. These Stepford Wives were about to confront Mrs. Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was on her lips: “Conformity is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

“We call each other, tell each other, often go shopping together when we can,” Jean said.

“And the Neighborhood Watch committee puts out a monthly newsletter filled with

valuable information like that,” Nikki added.

“I see,” Kristin said shifting her gaze to Teddy. He pretended to be interested in a cabinet door.

“This brand of cranberry juice has too much corn syrup in it,” Nikki announced.

“It’s my favorite,” Kristin said smiling. “Actually, I have a weakness for corn syrup.”

“You’ve got to watch your diet now that you’re pregnant,” Jean warned.

“You see, Teddy Morris, I do show,” Kristin joked.

“Oh, you don’t show at all,” Jean remarked. “One would never know.”

“You did.”

“Well, I read your application,” Jean revealed. Teddy looked up.

“Oh?”

“But we didn’t put down my pregnancy on our application,” Kristin remarked. “Why

would we?”

“That’s right,” Teddy said turning to Nikki. They gazed at each other.

“I don’t recall saying anything about it at the interview either,” Kristin added.

“Well, we must have heard from . . . from the real estate agent. It’s standard procedure,”

Nikki explained. “All of the residents of Emerald Lakes are required to learn as much as they can about a new resident.”

“Required?” Kristin said.

“Not exactly required, encouraged,” Nikki corrected.

“Well, that puts us at a disadvantage then,” Teddy said.

“Pardon?” Nikki’s eyes blinked rapidly. She’s not the kind who likes being confused or likes lacking understanding, Teddy thought. Very competitive.

“We don’t know very much about you,” he said.

“You will,” she predicted “Jean?”

“Oh dear, I left it outside on the front stoop!” Jean Levine cried and hurried through the house and out the front door.

“Jean can be so scatterbrained sometimes,” Nikki said.

“What’s scatterbrained, Mommy?” Jennifer asked.

“Not now, honey.”

“She has little notes pasted all over her house to remind her to do the most basic things,”

Nikki continued. “I swear, if Nature didn’t insist, she would forget to go to the

bathroom.”

Teddy laughed.

“How can she forget to go to the bathroom?” Jennifer said.

“What did she leave out there?” Kristin asked, giving her daughter a reprimanding look simultaneously.

Instead of replying, Nikki turned to watch Jean rush back inside. She held a leather bound, thick file.

“We’re always updating,” she said handing it to Kristin, “but this is the most recent.”