84 You Just Have to Belleve It
Fan Merde which was usually slow to notice things, could tell something was off.
She looked at Harriet, then at Evelyn.
Something fell off, though she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Dr. Davis, maybe I should just look for it myself. Maybe it fell between the bed and mattress: Myrtle said
Harriet reached out and patted Myrtle’s shoulder, looking serious. “I know what you’re thinking. You don’t want to upset a coworker, right?”
Yes…” Myrtle nodded, finally admitting it after Harriet pointed it out.
Harriet coaxed softly, “But if you think like that, and we don’t catch this thief now, they’ll just get bolder. What if they do something worse next time? You’d basically be letting them off the hook.”
Then she made the decision for Myrtle. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t want you stuck in the middle. Just go to work and take an hour off for me and Evelyn–we’ll finish–the search before heading in.”
Before Myrtle could refuse, Harriet haddy
nudged her out of the room.
“Alright, let’s start the investigation.”
There weren’t many people to check, so the search was simple.
First, they searched Myrtle’s room from top to bottom. Nothing.
Then they checked the other two people’s rooms.
Both had worked the night shift and hadn’t been in the dorm, plus there’d been an emergency surgery, so they hadn’t returned at all.
That ruled them out completely.
“Evelyn, if it wasn’t them, then who?” Harriet asked, her eyes sliding toward Evelyn.
“Anyone else besides those two,” Evelyn answered.
× P P ≤ 2 53 5ñ
Harriet said, “Let’s stick to our plan. First, we’ll ask everyone who knew the watch was in Myrtle’s room last night.”
She added carefully, “To avoid things being awkward, let’s have someone else do the asking. We’re close friends, so it feels weird if we do it ourselves.”
Whatever Harriet suggested, Evelyn just agreed.
Since the dorm also had family members of staff living there, Harriet asked a newlywed wife of a doctor, Stephanie Barrett, for help.
After a quick explanation, Stephanie happily agreed.
Evelyn’s room was on the lower floor, so they started there.
Soon, Stephanie came out holding a watch, raising it high. “Is this the one?”
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Chapter 34 you just tave te beleve it
Evelyn Fished forward faster than Harriet, grabbed the windy and held fraught she tuned
ent your watch I
Before Evelyn could finish. Harriet gave her a look full of disappointritent. “Evelyn, we’re like disters. He could you do this? If you liked the watch, you could’ve just told me. I would’ve given it to you. Why did you have to steal it?”
She said steal” extra loud.
At that time, being called a thief was serious. At work, it could mean anything from a warning and being shunned, to being fired, or even having it written in your record so no big hospital would ever hire you again.
Stephanie, who found the watch, didn’t know this was about theft.
When she heard it now, her eyes lit up with curiosity, though she pretended to sound supportive. “Dr. Davis, are you sure? You only asked me to help find it. How did it turn into stealing? That’s a big deal.”
Her nosiness fit perfectly into Harriet’s plan.
Before asking her, Harriet had checked. Stephanie loved gossip–anything she heard would spread through the hospital in less than two hours, with all kinds of versions floating around.
Before, Harriet’s fake friendliness with Evelyn and Myrtle had already been spread by her–stories about how Harriet feared them, so she went back to apologize and play nice.
Now, things were flipped.
Once she started spreading the rumor that Evelyn was a thief, Harriet wondered if Rowan and Tom would still treat her with respect at the hospital.
And Myrtle? She’d leaned on Evelyn before to push back against Harriet.
But after this, Harriet was sure Myrtle would never trust Evelyn again.
After all, the watch was found in Evelyn’s room/
Myrtle, being so gullible, would surely think Evelyn did it on purpose. That little bond between them would break.
Just thinking about it made Harriet feel thrilled.
“It’s like this: I bought a watch yesterday, and Evelyn really liked it …
Harriet explained the whole thing.
Stephanie, excited, pretended to defend Evelyn. “No way, are you sure? Maybe you didn’t even switch watches last night, so it ended up in/Dr. Schmidt’s room today.”
“No, someone saw it last night. We weren’t dreaming. And Myrtle almost cried this morning when she realized it was gone!”
“Oh, wow,” Stephanie muttered as her voice faded.
Harriet told Stephanie all the juicy gossip, but stayed out of trouble. It was perfect.
2/3
They it again. This watch to mine, not yours, Evelyn said firmly.
Fratriet scoffed. Impossible. You can’t afford this watch. One of these costs months of salary plne v
coupon to buy one. Do you even have a watch coupon?.
yek. Dr. Schmidt, it’d be best to keep this small. Don’t push it just apologize and settle it privately, Were all friends here, right?” Stephanie chimed in.
Do you really think you’re the only one who can own a watch?”
Of course not.
But right this moment, Harriet had enough proof and confidence to claim this one as hers.
“It can’t be just by chance. I bought it yesterday, lost mine today, and suddenly you have one. Who on earth would buy that story?”
Evelyn’s face stayed calm as she held her hand out to Harriet, slowly opening her palm to show the watch. “Sometimes, things just happen like that. You just have to believe it.”
48
