“Please,” I whispered desperately. “Can we go get coffee and talk about it there? I promise not to try to stop you from coming back here. I just want to discuss this somewhere more private.”
“You don’t want the ball and chain and the kiddo to know what you did?” I just blinked at her, and she grinned wolfishly. “I’ve been outside listening for quite a while. Made some interesting tapes.”
“You know it’s a crime to record a conversation without the consent of the parties, right?”
“I had consent. After all, one of the parties to the conversation was Christina McCall, and that’s me, right?”
Her logic probably wouldn’t hold up in court, but I saw no reason to argue legalities with the person whose identity I’d stolen. After all, by the time we got to court, I would already be pretty screwed.
At the moment, I just wanted to get out of there before Jess or Ethan wandered out of the kitchen. I pitched my voice to carry down the hall.
“Jess? Ethan? I have to step out for a few minutes. A work emergency’s come up. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Ethan poked his head out of the kitchen. “And you’ll tell me how old Mom is when you get back?”
Before I could answer, Jess pulled him back into the kitchen and stuck her head out into the hall. “What’s going on? Who is this?”
She tugged her left ear twice, hard and shot me a questioning look. Our old signal from when we were kids, to be used only in emergencies. The fact that she even remembered made me more determined to keep her out of this. I’d hurt her enough. I didn’t make the return gesture, tugging on my right ear three times.
“I’ll tell you later,” I said.
She considered me for a moment, still trying to keep Ethan from opening the door further. Apparently, the need to keep him out of whatever was happening outweighed her own curiosity. “Okay.”
“I’ll bring back doughnuts. We shouldn’t be gone long.”
Beside me, Tina stepped forward, extending one hand. “My name’s Tina. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Jess.” She gave a firm shake before retreating to the kitchen, turning Ethan back at the doorway with a firm, “Dishes. Now.”
Tina left her bags in the hallway, and we drove to the Tim Horton’s at the end of the block. Neither of us spoke during the ride. Although I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with any way out of this, had no idea what to do. Other than money, what did she want? Why was she here? How had she found me after all these years? And how could I trust this wasn’t some elaborate scam?
As soon as we sat down with the coffee I didn’t really want, I posed the last question to her and asked to see the documents she’d shoved at me in the hall again.
“I can do you one better,” she said, pulling several items from her purse. “I’ve got an ink pad and paper here, and a magnifying glass. Compare my fingerprints to the ones on my birth certificate. Hell, if you want a laugh, we’ll compare yours, too.”
“A laugh” would’ve been awesome at the moment, but looking at my own fingerprints wasn’t likely to provide one. Instead, I watched Tina press her thumb into the ink pad, then onto a white sheet of paper. Having never examined a fingerprint under a magnifying glass, I didn’t have the first clue what I was looking for.
The ink on the birth certificate was smudged, the fingerprints much smaller. I couldn’t swear they were identical, but I couldn’t swear they weren’t. Both looked swirly. I couldn’t swear I wasn’t looking at a drawing made by a toddler, either. Still, I played the role, peering into the glass as long as I could before things got weird. Weirder. Finally, I shrugged, put it down, and pushed the paper back at her.
“What do you want from me?”
“Easy,” she said. “When I decided to return to Canada, I went to a bank to open an account. Imagine my surprise when they told me I already had accounts there! Two of ’em. Checking and a nice, plump savings.”
I felt the color drain from my face. She was clearly enjoying this moment, sipping her coffee and smiling at my discomfort. “What did you do?”
“Oh, stop. They wouldn’t let me touch the money without your PIN, which I didn’t know. But I did ask for a copy of my most recent statement, which they kindly provided. That gave me your address.”
“If you don’t want money, why are you here?”
“I didn’t say I don’t want money. But if I just clean out your accounts and walk away, that’s not nearly as much fun for me. Besides, I wanted to see my new house, see how you’ve been taking care of it, find out what other assets you had in my name. This is about more than a few thousand bucks in a savings account.”
Yes, it was. It was about losing everything at a time when I’d finally started to feel like I’d regained a part of my old life. When I’d finally reunited with the person who mattered most to me. This woman couldn’t simply waltz in and take all that mattered to me.
But I didn’t know how to make her go away, or how to stop her from destroying my fragile new family before she left.
∞ ♡ ∞
Jess
After Christa left with the other Christina McCall, we finished clearing the dishes. Ethan peppered me with questions about the stranger at the door, and I mostly ignored them, not sure how much of what I knew to reveal. As a general policy, I didn’t hide things from my son, but this wasn’t my secret to tell. Without knowing why Tina had shown up and what she wanted, I couldn’t begin to think what to say.
Instead, I directed the conversation toward hockey, and Ethan happily chattered while bringing me plates from the dining room to put in the dishwasher. We moved to the living room shortly thereafter to watch a local game, and that’s where Christa found us when she returned, an hour later, with Tina in tow.
We made quick introductions, and I sent Ethan begrudgingly off to bed with strict instructions to keep the door locked and stay out of sight. Maybe I should still take him to a hotel. But he was almost an adult, and I couldn’t treat him like a little boy forever. Unless Tina appeared to be dangerous, avoiding her wasn’t the answer.
Christa said, “Tina will be staying with us for a few days. Tina, you can take my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
The way Tina looked me up and down made me uncomfortable. It didn’t bother me in the slightest when she went off to take over Christa’s bedroom. The less time in her presence, the better. Not knowing what else to do while Christa gathered her belongings, I found sheets and started making up a bed on the couch. That’s where she found me, a few minutes later.
“Is everything okay?” I kept my voice low, well aware that little pitchers, teenagers, and adult interlopers all have big ears.
She started to shrug, and then her face crumpled. Quickly, I led her down to the guest suite in the basement, where she could cry on my shoulder in peace. The story came out in bits and pieces, most of it stuff I’d put together on my own while she was gone.
“Did you really steal that woman’s passport?”
“She left it in a backpack I bought secondhand. I had no idea who she was or why she hadn’t taken it with her. The rest of the bag was empty. I figured no one would ever know or care if I used the passport to cross the border.”
“And then you just kept using it?”
“Yeah. It was wrong, sure, but I didn’t have any valid ID or a way to get one. At one point, I tried to find out if she was still alive, but the internet wasn’t as prevalent then as it is now, and sounds like she was living off the grid. Wouldn’t have found her, anyway. I never dreamed she’d show up here.”
“What if the whole thing’s a scam? She could be just trying to get your money?”
“If she were a scam artist, she’d be calling or emailing in weird English that sounded like it had been run through Google translate too many times, claiming we won the ‘Microsoft Yahoo Facebook lottery’ or some crap.” She gave a hollow chuckle. “No, she’s legit. She’s got all the paperwork to prove that she’s who she says she is. I
mean, I’m not saying she’s honest or anything—”
“—because she’s a blackmailer?”
“Sure. But she really is Christina McCall, and I really have been using her identity since 2001. She could’ve called the Mounties on me, dragged me away, not given any warning. Then you’d have run, and I’d never get to know Ethan. Whatever happens, I’m glad she didn’t do that.”
I rested my head on her shoulder. She put one arm around me. We fit together like Legos. It felt right, more comfortable than I would’ve expected.
“Me, too,” I said.
“What am I supposed to do?”
That, of course, was a question I couldn’t answer. “Do you have a good lawyer?”
She shook her head. “I’m scared, Jess. I don’t want to go to jail. Three months ago, my instinct would have been to take off. Run for my life.” She moved a small picture hanging on the far wall, revealing a small safe. With a quick glance at the staircase, she keyed in the combination and opened it, showing me stacks of cash. “It’s not much, but it would keep me going for a few months. I’ve been preparing for this moment for ages.”
The safe swung shut, and the picture settled back into place before Christa joined me back on the couch.
“So why aren’t you leaving?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Our eyes met, and the depth of emotion looking back at me startled me, made me uncomfortable. Sure, we’d had that moment earlier, but… it had been a long time. And a lot had changed. She’d changed. I’d changed. We weren’t Brett and Jess anymore.
“I can’t run out on my son when I’ve just met him for the first time,” she said.
Oh, right. Duh. This wasn’t about me. And there was no reason in the world for the pang of disappointment in my stomach. If my husband had been in love with me, he wouldn’t have faked his own death and moved to a foreign country in the first place. We were done.
“I’m glad you see that,” I said. “Because if you did, you’d have a hard time convincing him to let you back in if you ever showed up again.”
“I know. And I wouldn’t blame him for shutting me out. I’m not leaving you guys, but you should go. Change your flights.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with a stranger who’s informed you that she’s moving into your house and taking over your life. But first thing tomorrow, I am taking Ethan to a hotel until she’s gone. We’ll get a cot if you want to stay with us.” It was late enough that we’d probably be okay in the house for one night. Ethan and I both knew basic self-defense. He was twice Tina’s size, and an excellent tackler.
Still, the mother in me wondered if I should’ve brought him down here to stay with me. Just in case.
“I’ll be fine here. I don’t think she’s dangerous. I think she’s desperate.”
“That makes her dangerous.”
“She wants money. If she kills us, she’ll go to jail, and she can’t spend any money.” She squeezed my hand. “I should be getting to bed.”
My eyes went to the bed on the other side of the basement, which was more than large enough for two. But we’d had enough confusion for one night. Lying next to my dead spouse, listening to her breathe, aware of the space between us… that wasn’t something I was prepared to deal with.
If Christa suspected what I was thinking, she didn’t let on. Instead, she just leaned over, kissed my forehead, and whispered, “Thanks for everything.”
Then she went up the stairs, the door clicking softly behind her, while I tried to dissect the whirling emotions inside me.
Chapter 18
Jess
The next morning, I woke up early, showered, dressed and got ready to leave, then knocked softly on Ethan’s door. “It’s me, buddy. Open up.”
It took several minutes of thumping and a couple of muffled curses I pretended I didn’t hear before the lock disengaged and the door opened a crack. What on earth had he used to barricade the door? One of Ethan’s big brown eyes peeked out at me.
“Mom? What time is it?”
“It’s time for you to get up. We’re headed up the mountain.”
His face transformed in an instant, swallowed by a huge grin. “We’re going skiing?”
It was supposed to be a surprise, something for me and Christa to take him to do together. But she was otherwise engaged, and the two of us needed to get out for the day, anyway. As much as I wished Christa could come with us, it seemed better to get my son away from Tina.
“Yup. Gather up all your stuff—we’re going to stay at the resort tonight, so we can stop and rest any time we want, then go back out. Maybe I’ll let you talk me into snowboarding tomorrow.”
He let out a whoop, and the door closed while he dressed.
A quick examination of the kitchen told me that we’d need to stop at a coffee shop for breakfast. Christa’s pantry offered about five kinds of fiber-rich and low-fat cereal, but nothing I’d be able to tempt a teenage boy to eat. She’d apparently overlooked one thing in her plan to buy Ethan’s affection. And that was okay with me. I’d rather see them getting along than see Christa offer my son fourteen types of sugar cereal to get his love. Even if we were about to eat doughnuts.
Special occasion. Because everyone should get doughnuts when their dead father turns out to be alive. Or something.
While Ethan got ready, I quietly packed up the rest of my stuff. Then I went to the couch where Christa slept. Long brown tendrils fell across her cheeks. My hand itched to reach out, to touch the strands, reassure myself that this person was real and not a ghost from my past. But I knew better. Without the help of mascara, short stubby lashes lay across her cheeks. Her jawline was softer than it had been, her brow more feminine. If I leaned in, would I spot the surgical scars? Would it be weird to have my face so close to hers?
What would it have been like to go to sleep next to Brett and wake up next to Christa?
Shaking my head, I knelt beside her and gently shook her awake.
“Hey,” I said softly.
“Hey, yourself. What time is it?”
“It’s early. Ridiculously early. Ethan and I are going skiing. I figured it would be better for us to get out while you dealt with everything. Is it okay if we borrow your car for the day? We’re going to stay at the resort, but I’ll get you a room and come pick you up this afternoon.”
She ran one hand through her hair, blinked a few times, and then rubbed her eyes. “Sure. My keys are in my purse.” She picked up a bag from the floor beside the couch and handed it to me. “Do me a favor though?”
“Sure. What?”
“There’s no way I’m going to remember this conversation when I wake up again. Text me?”
Before I could respond, she’d rolled back over and was breathing deeply. Just like when we were in college. I’d once come home late and found Brett asleep at the table, head on his books. He’d had an exam in the morning, so I woke him up and quizzed him until I was satisfied he could pass the test. Even convinced him to walk to the bed with me. The next morning, he didn’t remember me coming home, had no idea how he’d gotten in the bed, and had no recollection of our twenty-minute conversation. He still managed a B+.
Smiling at the memory, I leaned over and kissed Christa’s forehead. She muttered something unintelligible in her sleep, one hand swiping at her face like she swatted a fly.
Something in my heart eased at the unconscious gesture. Even when life changed, some things stayed the same.
∞ ♡ ∞
Christa
A horrid screeching jolted me awake sometime later. Someone was singing in my kitchen. Did Jess sound that horrible when she sang? I couldn’t remember. The noise sent shards of pain digging into my brain. Or maybe that was the fifth of bourbon I drank after everyone else went to bed. Sunlight streaming through the front windows told me I’d slept pretty late. Unfortunately, I hadn’t managed to sleep until my nightmare ended.
Beside me, my phone contained a text from Jess, telling me she’d t
aken Ethan skiing. A pang hit my stomach when I realized I’d missed my chance to go with them, lost a full day of bonding with my son, because of something stupid I’d done years earlier. I should’ve covered my tracks better, gotten a legal name change, put the house in the name of a trust or something. At first, I’d planned to, but the more time passed, the more I convinced myself that the real Christina McCall was gone, another victim of 9/11 or killed in an accident or living in America under an assumed name. After a few years, I became comfortable in my skin, and it never occurred to me that the person whose identity I’d “borrowed” might show up, wanting it back. After a while, it was easier to let myself believe she must’ve died before I got her backpack.
The last thing I wanted was to face Tina and be polite, but stalling and avoiding her would only continue this fiasco. Extending her visit was the last thing I wanted.
She stood in the kitchen, wet hair streaming down her back, cooking eggs and singing a song I didn’t recognize at the top of her lungs.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because you never really know what you’re capable of until you’re tested. Life took a lot from me, you took my identity. Finding you seems like maybe it’s life’s way of saying ‘Sorry for all the shit, Tina.’”
“You’re not the only person who’s suffered, you know. It’s not like I did this for shits and giggles. Did you ever think what kind of circumstances might have led me here?”
She leaned back and lit a cigarette, taking a long pull before blowing puffs of smoke across the kitchen. I was torn between asking her not to smoke in my house and asking if I could have one. Never in all the years since college had smoking tempted me so much.
“Nope, and I don’t care. I’m broke. I’m outta options, and here you are with a fancy house, and you broke the law and you’re only doing so well because you’re pretending to be me, and that don’t seem fair.”
Pointing out that, in a fair world, none of this would ever have happened because I wouldn’t have been born in a male body probably wasn’t going to help me any. And I somehow doubted that the person blackmailing me would be interested in the fact that I worked and earned the money to buy this house. It wasn’t hers, and there was no reason it should be. Instead I opened a beer despite it being morning, offered her one, and sat down at the table.
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