Then she noticed the gnome.

She stopped.

“What in the world?”

She stared at it.

My gnome.

Her terrible blue paint job.

Sitting directly beside the outlet she wanted to use.

“Ugly little thing,” she muttered. “Move.”

She pushed it aside with her slipper.

That was when I started recording.

I stepped outside before she could plug anything in.

Monica jumped when she saw me.

“Eleanor!”

“Back again?”

She looked at the cable in her hand.

Then at my phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Recording you.”

Her face tightened.

“Turn that off.”

“No.”

“I wasn’t doing anything.”

“You’re standing on my property after midnight with your charging cable beside my outlet.”

“I hadn’t even plugged it in.”

“Because I came outside.”

Lights began appearing in neighboring houses.

Monica raised her voice.

“YOU’RE HARASSING ME!”

A porch door opened across the street.

Then another.

Frank appeared outside in plaid pajama pants.

I kept my phone steady.

“Monica, you’re sneaking onto my property after I specifically told you not to use my electricity. I’m not sure I’m the problem here.”

Someone nearby laughed.

Monica looked around and realized people were watching.

Then she pointed toward the gnome.

“AND YOU STOLE MY GNOME!”

For a second, I almost couldn’t believe she’d said it.

“Your gnome? The one you took from my yard six months ago?”

Her mouth snapped shut.

Frank laughed.

Monica spun toward everyone.

“Turn those phones off.”

Nobody did.

She glared at me.

“Eleanor, tell them this is ridiculous.”