The Way of the Guilty

by Jennifer Stanley

  Cooper wished him good night and drove away.

  “Albion,” she said and the name felt despicable on her tongue. As she thought about the vile man and the unspeakable acts he’d either committed or had set into motion, an idea suddenly took hold in her mind. At the next red light, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Ashley’s number.

  “You need to pay another visit to Maria Gutierrez,” Cooper informed her sister. “Immediately. And this time, I’m coming with you.”

  15

  “For I am about to fall,

  and my pain is ever with me.

  I confess my iniquity;

  I am troubled by my sin.”

  Psalm 38:17-18 (NIV)

  Ashley called Cooper on Wednesday to report that Maria Gutierrez wasn’t answering her phone, so she’d been unable to schedule a visit with the grieving mother.

  “It just rings and rings,” Ashley stated in befuddlement. “I guess she doesn’t have an answering machine.”

  “I can understand her not wanting to talk to people right now. Could you imagine fielding calls from telemarketers in her state?” Cooper finished cleaning the dirt from a copier drum and then set the soiled rag onto the floor. “Still, I must talk to her. We’ll just drive over there after I’m done with work today. This can’t wait any longer.”

  “Where’s the fire?” Ashley whined. “I’ve got special plans with Lincoln tonight and I’ve just got to be waiting for him when he gets home from work.”

  “Why? Did you take the pregnancy test?” Cooper asked breathlessly.

  “That’s part of my plan. I’m going to take it while he’s changing out of his work clothes. If it’s good news, I’ll serve him nonalcoholic champagne and we’ll celebrate.” Her voice held a smile. “I’ve even got a little baby plate to put on the dining room table.”

  Cooper paused and then said quietly, “And if the test is negative?”

  Ashley sighed. “Then we’ll just have to drink the real bubbly and try, try again.” Her tone suddenly lightened. “Really, Coop, I’m not going to be upset. Well, maybe a little, but I won’t wallow in self-pity again, don’t worry. After visiting with Maria, I know there’s greater suffering in this world than me not being pregnant.”

  “I’m proud of you, Ashley.” Cooper wished she could express her admiration more clearly, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the task at hand. “Can you at least come with me to Maria’s house and introduce us? You can leave right afterward, I promise. Please, Ashley, this is important. I believe Ivan either killed Maria’s son or had him killed and I need to know why. You see, I don’t think Hector stole from him like Miguel did.” Cooper struggled to verbalize her confused thoughts. “There’s a specific reason Ivan uses Hispanic men to do his dirty work. If I can find out why, then maybe the lives of other men like Hector and Miguel can be spared their fate.”

  “Don’t you think the police would have gotten that information out of her?” Ashley argued.

  “Hector lived with his mother. Maria must have known how he made money and who he worked for, but maybe she was ashamed. She probably just told the police that he worked at a video store,” Cooper reasoned.

  “Then why would she tell you the truth after lying to the authorities? You’re a total stranger. Maybe you need to work on your humility, Coop.”

  “There’s no guarantee she’ll tell me anything,” Cooper admitted. “But I’m going to ask her to think of the other mothers that could lose their sons.” Hearing Ashley’s in take of breath, she hurriedly added, “It’s not a kind thing to say, I know, but this is not the time for delicacy.”

  Ashley sighed again, but this time it was mostly theatrical. “I don’t think Emily Post would approve of how you’ve decided to pay your condolences, but you’re my sister, and I’ll give you thirty minutes of my time. But if Maria’s not home this afternoon, then you’ve got to drop this until I can get her on the phone and arrange a proper visit. Deal?”

  “Deal,” Cooper answered. “I’ll be at your place by twenty after five.”

  Back at the office, Cooper hustled into the break room, hoping Ben and Emilio hadn’t polished off all the egg rolls and fried wontons from the office’s celebratory lunch. It had been Mr. Farmer’s idea to treat the incoming staff members to a decadent takeout lunch from Peking Restaurant, and Cooper was nearly drooling at the thought of succulent sesame chicken served over a pile of fried rice.

  Her new hires, Bobby and Josh, welcomed her with a smile. They had spent most of the morning filling out paperwork but would accompany Cooper on her afternoon maintenance rounds. As soon as the two men became familiar with the Make It Work! clients and the machines included on each service contract, Cooper would send them off on their own. Until then, she decided to mentor them for a week first.

  “Where’s the female addition to your team?” she asked Ben while pulling out a chair between him and Bobby. “And where’s Angela?”

  “Both chicks are in the locker room,” Emilio answered through a mouth stuffed with egg roll. “Brandi said she needed to fix her lipstick before lunch and Angela’s coolin’ off.”

  Cooper raised her eyebrows. “Who made her mad?”

  “Boss’s sister—the freakin’ Wicked Witch of the West End,” Emilio muttered and then, mercifully, swallowed his food. “Told Angela she was bringin’ Mr. Farmer down. That they were from different worlds and she should back the hell off.” He popped a fried wonton onto his plate and stabbed it with the end of his chopstick. “I heard the whole thing. It’s like a damned soap opera around this place.” He swallowed and then slapped Bobby on the back. “Welcome to Make It Work!, pal!”

  Bobby smiled. “I’ve got three daughters, my friend. Every day’s a soap opera in our house. Keeps things lively. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  Cooper threw him a grateful look. “Things are usually pretty quiet here. Excuse me, would you? I’m going to go check on Angela.”

  She nearly knocked Brandi over as she rushed into the locker room. More accurately, she nearly collided with Brandi’s hair, which was as long as that of a pop princess, and dyed blonde with black tips. Brandi was bent over with her head facing the floor as she pumped copious amounts of holding spray through her locks. Sensing that someone else had entered the room, she flipped herself upright and smiled. She wore generous amounts of black eye shadow and liner and vamp-red lipstick.

  “Hi!” Brandi extended a hand. Cooper tried to reach around her coworker’s black and silver acrylic nails and, failing to do so, ended up shaking the other woman’s index and middle fingers instead.

  “Are you having a good first day?” Cooper inquired politely.

  “It’s totally awesome! Who wouldn’t, like, wanna tag along after Emilio?” She giggled and Cooper couldn’t help but smile. If Emilio and Carla had truly called it quits, Brandi was exactly the type of woman he’d be quick to pursue.

  “Ben’s great, too,” Cooper said, feeling as though the person responsible for hiring Brandi shouldn’t be omitted.

  “Oh, yeah! He is, like, soooo sweet.” She lowered her voice. “I met him and his wife at an A.A. meeting. During our refreshment break a few weeks ago, I told him I wanted out of Reliable Office Solutions before they went under. I knew he worked here and even though it took me, like, three meetings to work up the nerve to ask, I finally asked him if y’all were hiring.” She scratched her chin with her thumbnail. “He already knew me inside and out from our meetings. All my secrets, good and bad, and he still gave me a chance!”

  Something Brandi had said triggered a thought in Cooper’s memory about Miguel’s case, but she needed quiet to figure out what it was.

  “I’m sure you’re very skilled and Make It Work! is lucky to have you,” she told Brandi kindly, though she was impatient to find Angela. “Now you’d better get some lunch before there isn’t so much as a fortune cookie left!”

  Brandi jerked a thumb toward the bathroom stalls and lowered her voice. “I tried to talk to her, but
I figure I’m, like, the new girl on the block. Still, she’s pretty torn up about something.”

  “Angela’s just experiencing a little bump on Relationship Road.” Cooper guided Brandi out the door. “She’ll be just fine.”

  “I’d like to run over that bump with a tractor trailer!” Angela shouted from deeper within the locker room.

  Cooper waited on the bench in front of the employee lockers until Angela had composed herself enough to be seen. The office manager sat down next to Cooper and examined herself once more in her compact. Next, she removed a travel-sized perfume bottle from her purse and sprayed her wrists. After inhaling the fragrance on her skin, she exhaled loudly.

  “Mr. Farmer gave me this scent for Valentine’s Day.” She sniffed and blinked back fresh tears. “It’s called Petite Cherie and it came in this beautiful glass bottle with two angels on the stopper. Breathin’ this in, I’m tryin’ real hard to focus on him at this moment and not on that shrew who shares his DNA! That harpy in high heels! Medusa in a fur coat!”

  “What is she after you about?”

  “Oh, nothin’ much!” Angela spat. “She just wants me to find another job and never talk to her brother again. That’s all.”

  “But you and Mr. Farmer make one another happy. Is she jealous of that happiness?” Cooper asked.

  “ ’Course she is! Who’d wanna date her, no matter how much money she’s got! Oh, I simply cannot let her see how she can get under my skin! Time and time again I have ignored her nasty little remarks. Why, I’ve cooked supper for that woman for the past two Sundays and she has yet to thank me. Instead, she makes snide comments about my butter beans or my garlic bread or what-have-you!” Angela touched a shellacked lock of platinum hair to be certain that it was where it was supposed to be. “I’m just afraid that she’ll turn my man against me, Cooper. The woman is grass-green with envy, and folks like that are capable of real cruelty.” She threw her purse on the ground. “Just when I was feeling so secure, I stand to lose everything!”

  Cooper took Angela’s hand. “Mr. Farmer is not going to stop loving you because his sister wishes it. I’m sorry she’s making life hard for you both, but you’re doing everything right. It’s up to Mr. Farmer now. She’s his sister and she is out of line.”

  “But Bea’s his whole family. He’d never cross her—even for me! So I’ve gotta bite my lip and smile when what I’d really like to do is smack the woman clear into next week!” Angela’s bubble-gum pink lips formed a pout. “And she’s right about me not bein’ a college graduate or a world traveler and all that, but nobody’s gonna love her brother like I do. Not ever!”

  “And she’ll come to realize that eventually. Her envy will fizzle out, you’ll see. It is simply impossible not to like you, Angela.” Cooper put an arm around her friend. “Come on, you can’t be angry when there’s a plate of lo mein with your name on it close by.”

  “Truer words were never spoken.” Angela managed a thin smile. “Thanks, sugar. I just needed to vent a spell. Love can be so complicated sometimes.”

  “But it’s worth it,” Cooper said and linked her arm through her friend’s.

  Five hours later, Ashley led the way as the two sisters drove south over the Willey Bridge. Cooper always slowed down during the brief crossing in order to take in the vision of the James River moving in dark, gray-blue ripples beneath the overpass. Even in the dead of winter, flanked by spiny trees and shrouded by a dull, charcoal-colored sky, the water’s movement was a reminder that the world was alive and animated, despite the impression that it was in a state of deep hibernation.

  Ashley took the exit from the highway south of one of Richmond’s two mega-malls and continued driving east toward the Richmond City line. Without bothering to use her turn signal, she abruptly veered into the entrance of Stony Point Village. She drove toward the first cluster of brick townhouses and parked next to a cargo van with its rear doors left open wide. As Cooper pulled into the space next to her sister’s car, a Hispanic man came out of the closest townhome carrying a large cardboard box. He slid the box into the van and then headed back inside without giving the unfamiliar women a second glance. Something about his somber expression and brisk pace made Cooper feel uneasy.

  “Looks like Maria’s moving,” Ashley remarked casually. “I hope she’s not leaving her job. Lincoln didn’t mention a thing about that, but I know she’s a dedicated and responsible employee and would be hard to replace.”

  “If that turns out to be what she’s doing, it’s hard to blame her. I think I’d want to leave everything behind and start over, too,” Cooper stated sympathetically as the man reappeared bearing a suitcase in each arm. He called something over his shoulder in Spanish and two women materialized in the front doorway.

  As Ashley waved in greeting, Cooper was certain she saw fear flash across their faces. The women were nearly identical in appearance—black hair streaked with hints of gray; soft, stocky bodies clad in sweatshirts and snug jeans; round faces; chestnut-brown eyes framed by black lashes.

  “Are you moving?” Ashley asked the woman on the right.

  Maria Gutierrez nodded. “Yes. This is my sister, Nina. She and her husband are loading the last of my things.” Her tone was polite, but it was clear that she wasn’t in the mood for a social call at the moment.

  Courtesy dictated that Ashley and Cooper make their excuses and leave. When it seemed as though Ashley was about to do just that, Cooper clamped a hand firmly on her arm. “We don’t mean to trouble you, ma’am!” she called over the space of the tiny front yard. “I know you’re busy, but do you think you could spare me just a few minutes of your time? It’s very important that we speak.”

  “Well . . .” Maria began, but her sister was quick to respond on her behalf.

  “Maybe tomorrow,” she said in flawless English. “That would be a more convenient time. We need to finish loading before nightfall.”

  “I don’t think you’ll be here tomorrow,” Cooper stated softly, locking eyes with Maria. She held out her hands in what she hoped was a gesture of supplication. “Please. It’s about Miguel and Hector. And other boys just like them.”

  Maria grabbed onto the doorjamb for support and Nina’s eyes turned dark with indignation. “You have no respect! Leave my sister alone! Isn’t she in enough pain?”

  Ashley was also staring at Cooper, her mouth ajar in horrified embarrassment, but Nina’s reaction confirmed what Cooper had suspected. The family knew about Hector’s illicit activities. Did that knowledge now endanger them? She sensed it did.

  “I’m begging you, Mrs. Gutierrez,” Cooper whispered plaintively. “Help me prevent Albion Ivan from hurting another boy.” She used the word “boy” deliberately.

  It seemed as though time slowed to a crawl as Maria made up her mind. Nina’s husband squeezed between the two sisters in order to fetch more items from inside the townhouse. As soon as he passed them by, the women instantly reclaimed their positions, standing shoulder to shoulder as though guarding the abode against invaders.

  “Go ahead, Ashley,” Cooper said loud enough for the other women to hear. “Ivan might be coming after me, too, so I’ve got to stay.”

  Ashley opened her mouth to protest, but seeing the steely determination in her sister’s face, nodded, and turned away with an apologetic smile for Maria.

  Cooper took a step forward. Maria’s reluctance to talk, her sudden decision to move, and the panic written in her eyes confirmed Cooper’s suspicion that the older woman had withheld information from the police. “Other boys will be killed. You know this is true. Don’t walk away from them.” Cooper kept her voice as gentle as she could, despite the urgency she felt. “Please. Just tell me what you know so I can do something to stop him.”

  Maria looked at the ground, her face contorted as different emotions—fear, anguish, and anger—manipulated her features.

  “Do you want more mothers to know your grief?” Cooper asked, allowing her own anxiety to show. “To be in agony?�
��

  Covering her face with her hands, Maria began to cry. Nina instantly advanced on Cooper and pointed at her. “Have you no shame? Go away from here!”

  “No!” Maria called out, her voice cracking. She spoke quickly to her sister in Spanish and then vanished into the house. As no one had invited Cooper inside, she waited out in the cold, hugging herself against the air and the sharpness of her own words. After a few minutes she sat down on the edge of the curb, her back turned toward the Gutierrez house.

  Maria joined her there, coatless and shivering. Her eyes were raw from crying and her nose red from being rubbed over and over again with a tissue. She handed Cooper a photograph. “This is my son. I came to this country for Hector, so that he would have chances I never had. I was a single mother and an illegal, but I got papers and a job. Nina had immigrated before me and had become a true citizen by then. But there was never enough money.”

  “What was your first job?” Cooper asked to keep the other woman talking. Maria’s answer took her by surprise.

  “I was in charge of human resources at Double A Auto in Norfolk,” she said.

  That’s where Miguel once worked! Cooper was stunned by the revelation. But what does the connection mean?

  Maria touched the picture of her son, tracing the curve of his face with her fingertip. “I had nothing when I got that job, but both Nina and I spoke good English and we were quick to learn computers.”

  “Did Nina work at Double A, too?”

  “No. She got a government job, but like her, the people who hired me taught me everything I needed to know.” She fell silent and Cooper was afraid that she’d heard all Maria was willing to say. But finally, she began to speak again. “As long as I stayed quiet, my son and I would have a good life. I knew what I was agreeing to and for his sake, I did everything they said. After a while, I convinced myself I was doing nothing wrong—just taking a shortcut to the American Dream.”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks and Cooper handed her a tissue. Maria stared at the object and then, as though unwilling to antagonize the chapped skin on her nose any further, dabbed gently at her face and then balled the tissue inside a clenched fist.