His loss of sleep began to show. He left for work groggy and came home exhausted. He looked attentive only when Virgil was in the house. He had run out of questions for the boy, but there was always the watching, the constant watchfulness.

This change in Frank coincided with the change in Regina. Her first case of romance softened her considerably and I was delighted. Although her entire time schedule was shaped around Virgil, I didn’t mind in the least. In all her sixteen years, she was the most pleasant, the least demanding she had ever been. She looked contented, and more than anything, I hoped this experience with Virgil would spawn some self-confidence in her that would remain even if he left her one day. For a while, she seemed to lay aside her resentment of Frank, but she certainly had not buried it. It exploded in my face the afternoon I came home from school to find her and Virgil waiting for me. They were sitting on the couch when I came through the door and both of them stood up immediately. That one urgent gesture spelled trouble; all I could think of was: Oh, God, they’re going to tell me she’s pregnant. But one glance at the rage in Regina’s face told me the topic was going to be Frank.

“He’s crazy! He’s out of his mind!” she said.

“Take it easy,” said Virgil.

“What are you talking about?”

“Him! He’s spying on Virgil!”

“Regina, be quiet. Mrs. Mattison, can you sit down for a few minutes?” I sat. “A few days ago, my aunt told me she thought a man was following her. I didn’t pay much attention to it because she does like to exaggerate. Yesterday, she said he drove past the house a couple of times and parked out in front for a while. The way she described him, it sounds like Mr. Mattison. She described his car too.”

I sat there not saying a word, because I had nothing to say.

“I’ve known from the beginning he doesn’t like me. I don’t know why he doesn’t. If I did, maybe I could do something to change it.”

Only if you traded places, then he’d like you. I didn’t need to say it, only think it. The dark suspicion that had taken root in the back of my mind was beginning to spread its branches.

“Virgil’s right,” said Regina. “He hasn’t liked him from the beginning. But he’s not going to get away with spying on him. I’ll move out!”

“Don’t be silly,” I said. “I’ll take care of this.”

“You’ve said that before and he’s still the same. He’s worse!”

“I promise you there will be a stop to this.”

“Mrs. Mattison, I don’t want to make trouble, but my aunt—well . . .”

“I understand. Take my word for it, it won’t happen again.”