Normal neighbor stuff.
Which is probably why it took me so long to suspect her.
The package problem had started maybe three months earlier.
At first, nothing actually disappeared. Instead, boxes started arriving opened.
Not ripped. Opened carefully.
The tape would be lifted along one edge, then pressed back down.
The first time, it was a box of skincare. I assumed the warehouse had checked it.
The second time, it was a pair of shoes.
Ryan noticed before I did. “Was this already open?”
I looked at the box.
The tape on one side was wrinkled.
“Maybe.”
“That’s weird.”
“Probably shipping.”
Then it happened again.
A package with two sweaters arrived with the seal broken.
Nothing was missing.
But one sweater had clearly been unfolded and stuffed back into the plastic.
I called the retailer.
They apologized and offered a discount. Then I called the delivery company.
The woman I spoke to pulled up the tracking.
“Everything leaves our depot sealed, ma’am.”
“So you’re saying somebody’s opening it during delivery?”
“I’m saying if you’re repeatedly receiving packages opened, you may want to check what happens after they’re delivered.”
I told Denise about it the next afternoon.
We were both taking our trash cans in.
