Page 9 of All the Broken Pieces: Vol. 3

Talk to Vi. Get Vi.

Aleigha realizes how stiff and silent I am. Her soft fingers brush my hand. “Ms. Abby, it’ll be all right. One of the easiest places to mess with someone is from the Internet. You know enough to be able to tell what’s what now. They can’t fool you anymore, and if they don’t leave you alone, tell the cops.”

I echo her last word. “Cops? Tell them about this?”

“Yeah,” she looks at me like I’m crazy. “It’s harassment.”

“But it’s not in person.”

“It doesn’t matter. If this is repetitive, and it is, it’s harassment. The person doing this doesn’t have to be standing in front of you. It counts. At least file a report. It’s creepy.”

Call the cops. Again? They already think I’m crazy. What am I supposed to say? Someone is sending me pictures of my dead husband and made him look a little different so I’d think that he’s alive?

That sounds nuts. Jane wouldn’t help. I can’t imagine them taking this seriously, not if they think I’m breaking into my own house. They’ll just say I’m sending myself the ad.

“Ms. Abby, be careful, okay?” Concern etches Aleigha’s face.

“Of course. I’ll report it.” It’s a bald-faced lie, but it has the desired effect. Aleigha’s shoulders loosen up and the smile lights up her face again. “You’re right, and I should be careful. Thank you for your help.”

I quickly switch the topic to her latest accomplishment, winning a contest to design a children’s book. It’s her first paying gig. “How is it, working with someone so far away? Trudy is in England, right?”

She beams, nodding. “It’s really awesome. We worked it out so I get paid every time I hand in an illustration. She just sends crypto to my wallet. She’s happy because her pound goes further, and I have something else for my resume. I never thought I’d illustrate a children’s book. It’s fun.”

“I’m glad, but I thought she was paying you with money?”

Aleigha snorts. “She is. Well, sort of. We decided on Bitcoin.”

I should know what that is, but with everything that’s happening, I can’t recall. “Remind me what that is?”

“It’s cryptocurrency.” She reads my blank expression correctly and fills me in. “It’s like digital money.”

“Oh, Like PayPal?”

“No, that’s a bank that moves around real currency. Cryptocurrency is different. It’s a blockchain of code where currency is set in digital units. You trade it, and you can cash it out. Kind of like stock.”

Maybe my new meds are melting my brain because I have no clue what she’s saying. So I fake it. Nodding like it’s all good. “As long as she’s actually paying you, because all that sounds complicated. I thought she’d PayPal you.”

“We decided on this instead. She’s not screwing me over. Cryptocurrency works great, it’s just not all over the place yet. It’s easier, actually, and harder to lose or have stolen. So that’s a bonus.” The bell rings.

Aleigha tips her head toward her books. “I better get going. I need to haul ass across the school if I want to make it to orchestra on time. If you have any other questions, just ask.” She blushes a little, forgetting herself and swearing in front of me.

“Thanks Aleigha. I appreciate your help with this.”

As she scoops up her books, she glances over her shoulder. “Yeah, sure. And if you want the data on that picture, next time it pops up, right click and download. That should work. See you tomorrow.”

Vi rounds the corner as Aleigha walks out. “What was that about?”

The classroom is empty, so I take a deep breath and decide to tell her. “Someone is screwing with me, Vi. I need help figuring out who it is.”