My coat began to bulge as I slid two cans of tomato soup into my pocket. They formed unevenly on top of the pound of ground beef and the loaf of bread that I had tucked into my jeans. I stood out like a sore thumb because it was mid-August and merely 60 degrees. As I entered the checkout lane I was careful not to move so much to avoid the products from shifting out of their fixed places. I grab a pack of gum off of the shelf above the conveyor belt and set it down in front of the grocery bagger. I lifted my head to see her raising her brows in suspicion. I smiled back at her and laid out enough coins to total $2.67. She snatched my coins and said 

“You’re not getting away with all that stuff you got shoved in that coat.”

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” I reassured her. She leaned in toward me and whispered. 

“This isn’t the first time I noticed you wearing that coat around here this summa’. I know you ain’t cold and I also know you could get a huge fine for the amount you’ve stolen from this store, maybe even jail time.” she exclaimed. I looked toward the ground hoping my shame would allow me to bypass the payment.

Glen spoke again, “What even is your name lil’ punk?”

“I'm Harriet,” I replied.

“How ‘bout this Harriet,” she began, “You come clean out my apartment, get all the boxes gone, and clean up the place. You’ll start tomorrow. Get it all cleaned up this weekend and you can forget about me stoppin ya… Or else I'm snitchin’.” She said, handing me a torn-off piece of paper with her address and 8 am underlined.

“Sure thing ma’am, I’ll be there,” I replied with a fake smile. I grabbed the pack of gum and rushed out the door.

8 am sharp the next morning I knocked on the door to Glen’s apartment. I held my breath as I walked through the door, I looked to the left and noticed the sink was visible, but dishes were piled within it. A roach crawls across the rough and stubbly carpet in front of me. I shudder. I take two steps into the house but am blocked by a mountain of cardboard boxes filled with unimaginable things.

“Start today with this main room and tomorrow you'll do the bathroom and bedroom,” ordered Glen. I nodded my head. I had no idea how I would be able to clear out this whole room in just one day. 

“I’ll be back later to make sure you ain't slackin’ off,” Glen said to me as she slammed the door behind her. I stood in the doorway in shock at the mounds of garbage I had to clear. I sighed deeply, wishing that this wasn't real life. That I would suddenly wake up and be in a house where I could pay for the bills and groceries. This was the worst punishment imaginable for trying to get food for dinner. I accepted there was no way to escape this dump now. I began by picking up the boxes in front of the doorway and throwing them in the hall. Some of the furniture became visible once the boxes were removed. I could now spot a scratchy red couch, the corner of a dark, wood table, and a very tall lamp that had a yellow-tinted flickering bulb. I looked underneath the wooden table and noticed a price mark on the bottom of its surface. $999 it said. No way Gail had the money for this, I thought. I spent the next few hours maneuvering boxes to uncover the rest of the furniture, cleaning it off, and removing more trash. 

At approximately 7:34 pm the apartment door creaked open. Glen came through the door and put her hands on her hips observing the work I had done.  “Pretty good, you’ll need to get down and scrub that carpet before you go.”

“Hey, Glen where’d you get that nice table you got there in the living room? I noticed it had an expensive price tag on the bottom. I didn't know you had the money for a table like that.”

“I got it from the store down the street from my grocery store, I picked it up from the back after they closed.” Glen said.  

“Oh, so you a thief just like me huh Glen?” I chuckled back at her.

“I ain't no thief like you, they were gonna throw it out anyways it got a whole ole dent in the corner.” Glen snapped back. I shrugged my shoulders and had a smirk smile on my face.

“Tomorrow I'll put ya through some real work Harriet.” Glen opened a cabinet on the wall and pulled out a bottle of Fabuloso. She set it down on the counter and left again. The bottle was sticky and hadn't been used since it was first purchased roughly 20 years ago. I sprayed the product on the carpet and got down on my knees with a washrag. The washrag quickly became filled with the grime that was sunk into the floor. I rinsed the rag in a bucket and repeated the steps for the entire room. When Glen came in the door she was rocking back and forth. It was clear she had been drinking.

“Does it look alright?” I asked, pleading to leave.

“Yes it’s good, very g–” Glen mumbled, as she tripped over a box entering the bedroom. I scurried down the apartment steps and into the street, gasping for a breath of freshness. 

Not long after I closed my eyes it was time to go back to Glen's. I dragged my feet on my walk to her apartment. I arrived at the door and knocked weakly. Glen’s door croaked as it opened and I stepped inside. Glen shoved a can of bleach cleaner into one palm and a sponge into the other. She leaned a mop against the wall and headed for the door. 

My day began the same as before, removing trash to reveal furniture and tidying up as I uncovered the room. Once the bedroom was cleaned out I moved on to the final room, the bathroom. Patches of mold appeared to be growing around the vent on the ceiling. The tub was filled with cardboard boxes of random things. The toilet was visible but looked in questionable condition. A pile of dishes smothered with old food rotted in the sink. Above the sink was an oddly large mirror. It seemed out of place in such a small apartment. It was the only piece in the apartment that looked like it was of good quality at some point. I sprayed the massive mirror and wiped it down with a rag. I admired the framing of the mirror; it had a gold trim with an intricate design of golden leaves and flowers engraved throughout the border. I gently brushed the edge of the mirror with my hand. I felt a latch underneath the mirror’s ledge on the right side. I began to pick at it, wondering if it would reveal a jewelry case. It surely had been shut for a long time, the latch would not budge. After a few more forceful attempts at the latch, it was released. I pulled gently on the mirror. 

My eyes widened as I witnessed what was behind the mirror. There was a small room. The contents of this room were only a rack of extravagant clothes and a large deep freezer. I was astonished. There was something off-putting about this room. I wanted to go explore. Just as I was about to, I heard the creak of the door. I rapidly concealed the secret room and rushed to meet Glen in the entryway.

“I still have a bit left to clean up, miss,” I said, “do you mind me coming by one last time tomorrow to tidy up the rest?” 

“I guess that’ll do, I don’t want you around here all night long anyways,” Glen replied.

“Great!” I exclaimed, jumping out of the door. I hurried to the library a few blocks down to do some research. I searched for Glen's address online and checked some of the local news articles related to the apartment building. I was stunned to find out that a wealthy business owner had died near the apartment. Why would someone with money be hanging around Glen’s apartment? I began wondering if the answers to this death were hidden within Glen’s bathroom mirror. The next morning I was back at the apartment door, but this time I was much more eager to go inside.

“Good morning Glen, have a good day at work!” I said, trying to rush her out the door. 

“Oh, well you too Harriet, this place better be all fixed up when I get back now. Today’s your last day to get my place straightened up.” Glen said as I pushed her back towards the front door. 

Glen left and I quickly shut the door behind her. I went over to the bathroom and felt for the latch on the mirror once more. I uncovered the secret room and crawled through the wall. The contents of the room were unsettling. Almost like it was hiding a body and the remnants of a wealthy man’s belongings. I knew instantly that I must have found a crime scene. I slipped a towel over my hand and slowly cracked open the door to the freezer. I leaned over to peak underneath and was pelted with the smell of decaying flesh. Glen must have killed the businessman in the article. 

At first, I was shocked. What was I supposed to do? I had just found a body but yet I did not want to go to jail for shoplifting over the past few years. I knew I must wait it out, and decide what I was going to say to Glen when she got back to the apartment.

Later that night the door creaked open and Glen’s croaky voice began ordering me.

“How have you not gotten an ounce of this place brushed up? Shame on you! What have you been doin’ in my apartment if you ain't cleaned up a darn thing!” Glen complained. 

“Well I just found something real interesting while I was cleaning up the bathroom,” I replied. I could tell by the flat look across Glen’s face that she knew what I was talking about.

“Can you explain yourself? Why you hiding a body in your apartment Glen?” I asked. Glen stood in front of me silent for a few moments. I couldn't tell if she wanted to suffocate me or cry. I began to get nervous, as I didn't want to be her next resident in the freezer. But as I backed toward the door for my escape she finally spoke.

“Now, I don’t know why you went lurkin’ to find things that are none of your business,” Glen said slowly, “That man had it comin’ for ‘em. Philip. He was a rich fella from a nicer town that I met while I was out one night. I had no idea he had so much money till he brought me back here and I found out he was a horrible guy. I wasn’t gonna let him kill me so I had to do it to him.” 

“Woah, don’t be too sure I won’t turn you in, and wait– this is his apartment?”

“This is his. I was gettin' you to fix it up so I can get rid of it, filled with all his junk, I didn't wanna mess with this I just want this place gone. Fast.” Glen said. It was all beginning to make sense, but yet I didn't know what this would mean for me. I felt a little bad for Glen and the situation she was put into. Yet I was still upset that she dragged me into this, and I couldn't afford to get fined for shoplifting.
“How bout we make a deal,” I suggested, “I'll help you tidy the rest of this place up, and you can sell it and never talk to me again, I don’t wanna be involved in your huge mess. But, you owe me something. I want enough groceries to fill me up each week. Pack them up and set them in a box each Wednesday night outside your shop. While you're at it, slip in a little cash, only about $100.”

“You gotta deal. Don’t ever let me catch a word of this Harriet.” Glen demanded. I gave Glen a firm head nod. I grabbed a wash rag off the counter for myself and handed another to Glen. Then, we got to scrubbing.