“Sure, let’s look around.”
The girls spent the next hour cleaning up the mess and looking for the chain. It was nowhere to be found. By the time they were finished, the room looked normal again, even though neither of the girls felt at ease.
“Anything?” Eva asked, even though she wasn’t hopeful.
“No, sorry,” Bella shook her head.
“Why would anyone steal a chain and a pendant?” she wondered aloud.
“Are you sure that’s all that’s missing?”
“I think so,” Eva nodded. “That’s why it’s so weird. Nothing else is missing. I mean, there were more expensive things than that chain and pendant here in the room. Why not take that?”
“Maybe it wasn’t about the financial worth of the thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“What if someone wanted something emotionally valuable to you?”
“Like my mom’s pendant?”
“Exactly.”
“But, who would take it? And why?”
It just didn’t make any sense. But, she didn’t have any time to think about it more. There was a knock on the door and Bella shouted to enter. An unfamiliar head popped between the door and the doorway. It was some girl Eva didn’t recognize. She wasn’t smiling or frowning. She was serious, as if she was there on business.
“Um, are you Eva?” she asked.
“Yes?” Eva frowned.
This didn’t sound good. First the break in, now someone is asking for her.
“Katrina told me to give you this,” she revealed the purpose of her visit, then offered a piece of paper to her.
Eva walked over to the door, taking the paper.
“When did she give this to you?” she asked.
“She was just downstairs,” she explained, “she said she needed to rush, otherwise, she’d give it to you herself.”
“Thanks,” Eva nodded, then closed the door, almost in the girl’s face.
She was too pissed off to think about cute pleasantries at this point.
“What does it sa
y?” Bella asked, as Eva was opening the folded piece of paper.
“Hope you had fun cleaning up. When you give up what’s mine, I’ll give up what’s yours,” Eva read it out loud, so they could both hear.
“So, she broke into our room,” Bella gasped.
“Are you surprised?” Eva snorted. “Because I’m not.”
“Do you think she took your chain?”
“I’m sure of it,” Eva spoke furiously.