Alex immediately realized what she was doing.
“Are you calling someone?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“The police.”
Alex's stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“Because you're making people uncomfortable.”
Alex looked around.
Nobody appeared uncomfortable.
A father was pushing a stroller.
Two elderly women were talking.
Children were playing nearby.
Alex looked back at Eleanor.
“I haven't done anything.”
She was already dialing.
“Yes,” she said when the operator answered. “I'd like to report a suspicious person in Maplewood Park.”
Alex's eyes widened.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
“He's a young Black male,” Eleanor continued. “He's been sitting under a tree watching people.”
Alex whispered:
“I'm waiting for my mother.”
Eleanor turned away from him.
“Please send someone.”
Then she ended the call.
Ten minutes later, the sound of sirens echoed through the park.
Alex's heart began pounding.
Two police cruisers entered the parking lot.