No Body, No Crime

PART FIVE :: Can I Go Where You Go?

 At this point, my memory started getting fuzzy. Maybe it was my new pregnancy- I was about a month along so far, although I didn't know it yet- or perhaps it's just the typical amnesiac response to any sort of traumatic event. But the possibilities of what all went down were reduced from something like movie scenes to blurry photographs. Not exactly ideal for trying to write a detailed account of anything, but it's the memories I have, so I shall do my best to write them as clearly as possible.

A week had passed. The Walmart Incident had rattled both Robin and me. He became uncomfortable with me going places alone, although I assured him that I was a capable young woman and wouldn't let any harm come to me- or the child he still didn't know about.

The teaching position had fallen through, so I'd taken a job as a librarian, and there was nothing that I loved more than being surrounded by books all day. The work wasn't exhausting, the hours were good, and the pay was fair. After the Walmart Incident, Robin and I debated about my work. He didn't like me being out by myself for that long, and I pointed out that trying to do anything to someone in our local public library was probably the worst space possible, as there would most likely be witnesses. He saw the validity in my point, and his only request was that if something suspicious happened at the library, I'd let him know. I promised I would, and we both dropped the argument.

The stalking started small. Robin occasionally dropped lunch to me, stayed for a bit, and returned to his boring office position. Sometimes, he'd call or FaceTime me if he couldn't see me in person. I thought it was sweet, although perhaps a bit paranoid. But it was cute; he was my husband, so I didn't think much of it.

Them, he started trailing me a bit more frequently. Sometimes I'd look out the window and see his car parked in the library parking lot or catch a glimpse of him buried amongst the bookshelves- in the middle of the workday. I found it odd and highly suspicious, but I tried not to overthink it. It couldn't be anything terrible; Robin was a good man, and he'd never stalk me or try to hurt or creep me out. He was just trying to be a protective husband.

Right?

I wish that Crime Junkie's episode on Mary Lynn Witherspoon had come out at this point because if it had and I'd listened to it, I could've identified this as a red flag. Repeatedly showing up at my place of work- multiple times a day- should've been reported as suspicious behavior or at least warranted a deep conversation about his safety concerns. But if he didn't mean any ill will by it, did it still qualify as stalking?

The short answer: Yes

The long answer: If it weren't for my dear Bethel Hollis, who'd been kind enough to extend the offer of friendship to me, which I gratefully accepted, I wouldn't've been alive long enough to find out.