The fact that you mentioned that you’re a Corrections Officer made me think of something-what happens if one of these random people has some sort of contraband that they’re storing at Tiff’s? Is she potentially on the hook if it gets discovered? Also, what happens if they claim they left something there and Tiff or someone else stole it?
“If she did nothing with the boy, why is she being so defensive?” Because she’s Bernice. There is nothing so inconsequential that she can’t turn it into a three-alarm fire.
Many years ago, I was at a thing at my sister’s house. My niece was there, along with a friend. Friend mentioned something about her high school drama teacher and we’d gone to high school together. I told her that we’d dated for a while and the girl seemed a little confused. She said “Somehow I just can’t picture the two of you…” so I helpfully finished her sentence with “parked out in the middle of nowhere with the windows all fogged up?” She had a horrified look on her face, so I said “What? Do you think you invented it?”
Ox makes a very good point. I’ve sometimes heard it called “coopetition”-you’re competing, but you’re also working together.