Two Hundred and fifty one

CHAPTER 251

Alicia walked into the home appliance store and looked around. She walked around the store to check if the items she needed were available there. After a few minutes, the girl in her blue hooded coat got in line at the cash register. The store didn't have many customers when it was snowing heavily. So Alicia only needed two customers to finish paying and she could put the items on the counter.

When Alicia put down all the items she had bought, a cashier with a small nameplate on her chest that read Cathy greeted her kindly.

"Good morning. Are you going to buy all this?" Cathy looked at Alicia's items on the counter, then began to take one item at a time and scan them through the price scanner. "You bought a lot of CCTV. Is this to see if your house is haunted or not?"

Alicia laughed politely. She shrugged her shoulders and tried to make excuses. "I just wanted to see if my neighbor's dogs were littering. They're causing trouble, so I need to be strict."

Cathy squinted, but her hands didn't stop working. "Looks like we have the same fate. My neighbor's pitbull also litters a lot. Looks like I'll have to buy a lot of CCTV too," she said, then chuckled. He scanned the pepper spray and put it in plastic. "Will your neighbor's dogs leave if you spray them with pepper spray?"

"Well, I need it just in case."

Alicia was quite nervous because Cathy looked very curious. She was like a detective. Eventually, Cathy was done with her work. Cathy handed Alicia a plastic bag filled with goods. "That makes a total of 350 dollars."

"Here, thank you," Alicia said, handed her the cash that matched the bill, and left the store.

She waved her arms to stop the taxis that passed by on the street. One taxi was flagged down. It stopped and picked up Alicia, who was carrying her luggage.

On the way, the taxi driver tried to make conversation so that the atmosphere between them wouldn't be too serious. "Did you just shop at that store? I heard they have a lot of good things to buy."

Alicia gasped, she had just seen the view outside the window when she heard the taxi driver engage her in conversation. The girl smiled, they were interacting through the glass in the car. "I think they also offer a lot of promotions on the items they sell."

"Do you buy a lot of things because of the promotions they offer?"

Alicia nodded, she was trying to be friendly. "Yes. I like how they organize the sales and promotions."

The taxi driver did not continue the conversation as they had already arrived at their destination. The car pulled over after Alicia gave the signal. She paid with cash and got out of the taxi. Her hands were busy carrying bags of groceries, but Alicia didn't go home. Instead, she took the opposite road and entered Mrs. Thompson's house.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

After a few minutes, the door in front of Alicia finally opened. Mrs. Thompson was there. Mrs. Thompson looked confused, raised her eyebrows and said, "Alicia?"

Alicia smiled awkwardly. Her innocent face was blown away by the wind in the middle of the snow. Her hands, which were tired of carrying things, were raised into the air, and she deliberately showed them to Mrs. Thompson. "Can I come inside?"

Mrs. Thompson gasped. Quickly shifting her body out of the way of the door, she said, "Sure. Come on in! Gosh, it's so cold outside. Why am I so insensitive?"

After being allowed into the house, Alicia brought her things and sat down on the sofa. Erick was there, watching television.

"Hello, Rick!"

Erick looked puzzled as their eyes met. He was watching Alicia's fuss when she finally put everything on the floor. Erick waved his hand in the air and replied, "Hi, Al. What are you doing? Did you go shopping? You didn't forget your own home address, did you?"

Alicia chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest, while Mrs. Thompson joined the two of them, having finished closing the door.

"What did you bring, Alicia?"

"Well, someone is watching me. He has evil intentions, and I think I need to do something to save myself." Alicia said that in a serious tone, but Erick and Mrs. Thompson just exchanged glances with astonished expressions. They didn't understand yet. "Let me install a CCTV camera in your house, Mrs. Thompson."

"CCTV? But we already have some, why would you add CCTV to my house? Shouldn't it be installed in your house?"

Erick turned his wheelchair around and faced Alicia straight on. He folded his arms across his chest and frowned deeply. "What exactly are you planning to do?"

Alicia shrugged. "You guys put the CCTV cameras at an improper angle, I'm going to fix them and add some. Lately, someone has been stalking me. I feel unsafe living alone. Well, Nick does come and stay often, but I have to look after myself if Nicholas doesn't come." Alicia picked up one of the boxes containing the CCTV that had not yet been installed, and shook it in the air, wanting to show it to Erick and her mother, Mrs. Thomspon. "This uses the latest system, I can monitor anyone via cell phone. And, it can help you find the man who hit you, Mrs. Thompson."

The two people in front of Alicia exchanged glances. They looked surprised, but also enthusiastic. Erick then pointed at Alicia. "Is it possible that the hit-and-run perpetrator will come again? He must be scared because you and Detective Nicholas are looking for him, he's already committed a crime. Wouldn't a bad person be afraid to return to the place where he committed the crime?"

But Alicia confidently shook her head. She held up the object in her hand and said, "You're wrong, Rick. Criminals will return to the crime scene. They always come back, and when they do, we'll be ready to fight them!"