Page 59 of Want to Know a Secret?

“I’m afraid our policy is that we prosecute all shoplifters.” Maria’s voice is without emotion. “Bill, please call the police.”

My heart is pounding in my chest. A photograph of me kissing another man is bad for my show, but a shoplifting arrest is even worse. Maria knows how horrible this will be for me. It’s exactly what she did to the babysitter—only I know what she’s done.

“You!” I point a finger at her. “You set me up again! You planted the earrings in my bag!”

Bill and Maria exchange looks. I sound like a crazy person. I’m sure that’s what it seems like to everybody in the store.

“Ma’am.” Bill places one of his meaty hands on my upper arm. “I’d like you to come to the back with me.”

I don’t want to go with him, but I don’t have much of a choice. So I let him lead me to a room in the back.

Chapter 28

The back room is about the size of a large bathroom. It looks like a former storage closet. There’s a folding table in the center and two folding chairs. The light overhead is flickering. Bill gestures at one of the folding chairs, and I sit down gingerly.

“I’ll be right back,” he tells me.

Bill leaves me in this tiny room alone and presumably goes to call the police. As I sit there waiting for him, I hear a buzzing sound from inside my purse. It’s a text message. I feel dread in the pit of my stomach as I pull out my phone.

Want to hear a secret? April Masterson is a shoplifter.

A second later, the photograph appears. It’s a picture of me standing by the entrance to the store with the security guard apprehending me. The panicked look on my face and the stern look on his makes it obvious what’s happening.

The photo was taken from inside the store.

A cold feeling washes over me. I imagine this photograph plastered all over the internet. Who would watch my show if this got out there? I’d be humiliated.

I stare down at the photo, gripped with the urge to delete it to keep anyone from knowing my humiliating secret. But that won’t help. Whoever sent me the photo still has it. This text message is my only proof I’m being harassed. I need to save it.

My hands are shaking as I call Elliot. I don’t want to tell him what just happened, but I need his help. Not only is he my husband, but he’s also my lawyer. He’ll know exactly what to do.

Naturally, he doesn’t pick up the first time I call. But after I call two more times, I finally hear his voice. “April, I’m really busy…”

“I’m about to be arrested.”

There’s a long silence on the other line. I’ve gotten his attention.

“Arrested? For what?”

“Shoplifting. But I didn’t do it.”

“What?”

“They found these earrings in my bag,” I say quickly. “They must have… I don’t know, dropped inside somehow.” I’m not going to tell him my theory about Maria right now. He probably won’t believe me anyway. And I can’t tell him about the text messages. “And now they’ve got me in this back room and they’re calling the police.”

“Jesus, April,” he breathes. He pauses for a long moment. “Okay, look, they’re not going to arrest you. It’s just a pair of earrings. They’re just trying to scare you.”

A lump rises in my throat. “He’s calling the police! I can hear him!”

“Right, but they’re not going to take you to jail for shoplifting some earrings. They’re probably just going to give you a summons.” He exhales loudly. “Whatever you do, don’t say anything. Don’t sign anything. Just come straight home.”

“But what if they take me to jail?”

“It won’t happen.” He sounds very confident. I wish I felt that confident. “But if they do, just call me right away. We’ll figure it out.”

“Are you coming home?” I ask in a small voice.

“Yes. As soon as I can.”