Her Good Name

by Josi S. Kilpack

  Micah had warned her that the thief was a professional—he’d know all the loopholes, while she, Chrissy, was new to this, a complete novice. She hated feeling helpless in any situation, but even more so when it was her name—her life—on the line. Hot tears filled her eyes as she tried to think of what to do. It was like being trapped in a maze. She wasn’t sure there was a way out.

  Ninety thousand dollars!

  The phone rang, making her jump. She hurried to grab it, thinking maybe one of the creditors she’d talked to had taken pity on her. The number was local, however, and one she didn’t recognize.

  “Hello?” she said.

  “Chrissy?”

  Her world paused for a minute, and she smiled. “Rosa?” she said into the phone. She gripped the phone with both hands and stood straighter. “Oh, how are you?”

  Every time Chrissy saw the “For Sale” sign in Livvy’s yard she felt like crying. The loneliness was overwhelming enough as it was, but to feel so alone amid all these other problems was truly the lowest Chrissy had ever felt in her life.

  “We’re okay,” Rosa said.

  Chrissy tried to scan her voice for the truth. She didn’t detect anything and was a little disappointed that things weren’t more miserable.

  “Could you come pick us up?”

  “Is something wrong?” Chrissy asked with alarm.

  “No, but school’s out and Mom’s working. We’re bored.”

  Chrissy looked at the statements and notes on the table and let her eyes drift to the notebook listing all the things she still needed to do. But there was no contest. She needed these kids today.

  “You bet,” she said, turning her back on the tasks waiting for her, grateful for a reprieve from all the stress. “Give me the address, and I’ll be there in less than half an hour.”

  Chapter 42

  Next week,” Eduardo said, handing her the file. “I’ve got all the paperwork filed. We just need the final confirmation of the date and time.”

  Chressaidia took the file and opened it, scanning the papers inside. “And we’re taking all the parts?” They’d originally planned to take two more trips to move the rest of the guns, but the problems with Chressaidia’s identity made it seem wise to speed things up. She’d put as many safeguards in place as possible, but knew her time was limited.

  “Yes, I ordered six pallets of formula. And I’ve arranged orders with stores in Mexico that will buy it, so the receipts will be legitimate.”

  It almost felt too easy, and that worried her, but she said nothing. “Who knows about this?” she asked. No way was he able to accomplish the arrangements all by himself.

  He hesitated before answering. “Only two other people. A friend at the transportation company and another friend who helped me with the Mexico orders. They were asking too many questions, but I’ve already arranged for them to be paid.”

  Two more people? Chressaidia didn’t like it. And payment? Without her authorization? Still, he’d done a great deal of work and she didn’t want to react rashly. “How will you pay them?”

  “After you leave and I take over the trade routes, I’ll give them part of my profit. We couldn’t do this without them.”

  “Too many people know,” Chressaidia said, still looking at the papers. “I don’t like it.”

  “There was no other way,” Eduardo replied. “Especially since we need to do this so quickly. I think you should walk across again. I’ll meet you at the racetrack. I’ll drive. I’ll take the risk.”

  “Good,” she said, handing back the file. That’s what she was looking for, his willingness to sacrifice himself. It was only fair, since he was the one who had made the arrangements. It validated his trust in himself. “Next week then,” she said.

  Chapter 43

  Livvy pulled up to the old farmhouse Doug had bought from his uncle a few years ago and turned off the car. She smiled as she got out and headed up the new steps Doug had built last month. They’d turned out really nice; Doug was good with his hands.

  “I’m home,” she called as she came through the front door. The smile on her face faded as she scanned the living room but didn’t see anyone waiting for her. “Hello?” She put her purse on the table—also inherited from Doug’s uncle. The farmhouse had some really nice furniture, but it had been a total mess when she moved in. However, it was nothing a little elbow grease, lemon oil, and Windex couldn’t fix. Out of habit, her thoughts turned to how great Chrissy would think some of this furniture was—she had such an eye for character pieces. But immediately Livvy remembered their argument, the humiliation of having Chrissy say those things to her face.

  “Guys?” she called as she moved farther into the house. No one answered. Maybe they were outside.

  She found Doug in the old, run-down barn in the back and greeted him with a long hello kiss. He made her feel so alive, so beautiful. Over the last few months she’d realized that she had to feel like she mattered, that someone loved her and wanted her. It was as necessary to her existence as air and water.

  “Where are the kids?” she asked when the kiss finally faded.

  “Don’t know,” Doug said, turning back to the stall he was mucking out. Livvy wrinkled her nose at the smell, but wouldn’t complain about the pungent aroma of manure and sweat. Doug was really into his horses, and she was determined to get into them as well. It would be something they could share together. “They left around noon.”

  “Left?”

  “Yeah, I thought you had it all figured out.”

  “They didn’t tell you where they were going?”

  “Nope,” Doug said, throwing a pitchfork of used straw into a wheelbarrow. The physical labor made the muscles in his arms tighten, but Livvy looked away so as not to be distracted. He put the pitchfork into the ground and leaned against the handle, reaching out to pull her to him by the waistband of her pants. “Can’t say I missed ’em though,” he said, smiling at her. “Them kids make me crazy.”

  Livvy stiffened just a bit. He’d been saying things like that the last few days, and it made her uncomfortable, but she knew that in time he’d come to love them. He just wasn’t used to having children around—his lived in Texas.

  “It’s after six o’clock,” she said, putting her hands on his shoulders to keep some distance between them. “Maybe they left a note.” But she could only think of one place they would go—Chrissy’s. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or even more annoyed by the idea.

  He ignored her and tried to pull her closer. “Doug!” she said with sharpness, pulling away.

  He glared at her, and she held his eyes, not sure what to do. He looked mad and she didn’t like it. “Them kids is always coming between us. I gotta go to work in an hour, and all you care about is them.”

  “They’re my kids,” Livvy pleaded. “I have to figure out where they went. Then we can . . . spend some time together.”

  He didn’t seem appeased, but he turned back to the horse stall. “It was some red car with a black hood that came for ’em.”

  Livvy was instantly relieved, but only for a moment. “Chrissy,” she said out loud as anger raced through her veins at the confirmation that she’d taken the kids without Livvy’s okay. She turned on her heel, intending to call Chrissy and give her another piece of her mind.

  “Whatcha gonna do?” Doug called after her.

  “Call her and make her bring ’em back.” Livvy turned to face him again. “She can’t do this. She is not their mother, and I’m so sick of her wanting to dominate things all the time. I told you what she said about us. Who knows what she’ll tell them.”

  Doug regarded her for a moment and she began feeling foolish for reacting so strongly. She took a breath. “I’m so tired of her trying to run my life.”

  “If that’s so, you ought to call the cops,” he said.

  The cops? On Chrissy? Livvy dismissed the idea as fast as it came and shook her head. “I can’t do that.”

  “Then she’ll just ke
ep thinking she can do whatever she wants. You said you wanted your own life. This is your chance to prove it.”

  She held his eyes. This wasn’t just about proving things to Chrissy; it was about proving things to Doug, too. She bit her bottom lip, debating her options. Things were so new with Doug; she didn’t want to disappoint him. And he was right—she did want her own life. She took another breath, hoping to gain some confidence, and let it out slowly, allowing the anger to settle in. Doug was right. Chrissy couldn’t do this anymore.

  Chapter 44

  The kids were exactly what Chrissy needed. They took a picnic lunch to the park and played soccer for more than an hour. After returning home, the boys played some computer games while Chrissy and Rosa worked on cleaning the guest room that Chrissy planned to repaint as soon as she had money to actually buy some paint. She and Rosa chatted about Rosa’s new neighborhood and the school she’d be going to next year. Chrissy was careful to bite her tongue every time she wanted to say anything negative. That Livvy would let them come over was a step in the right direction, and she didn’t want to mess anything up.

  “I could pick you up for church on Sunday if you want.”

  “That would be cool,” Rosa said with a nod.

  Her answer went a long way to calming even more of Chrissy’s stress and worry. She’d made it through her own difficult adolescence because of the Church, and if Rosa was willing to stay involved, then it could bless her, too, and perhaps soften the harsh choices Livvy was making.

  “What time do you need to be home?” Chrissy asked when dinner was looming. Rosa just shrugged and went back to putting away the odds and ends. “Because I can make some chili eggs for dinner if you want.”

  Rosa smiled. “I love chili eggs!”

  Chrissy returned her smile. Chili eggs were simply scrambled eggs with a can of green chilies and some mayo. Chrissy had whipped it up one day for a quick dinner and wrapped it in a flour tortilla. The kids had loved it and it was one of the few dishes Chrissy always had the ingredients on hand for.

  “Will you go check on the boys?” Chrissy asked when they were nearly done. She’d moved the computer to the living room last weekend, but hadn’t heard much from the boys who were playing games on it. Who knew what they could be into.

  “Sure,” Rosa said, throwing an empty shoebox on the bed before leaving.

  Chrissy plugged the vacuum into the wall and started making lines in the thick carpet. She was vacuuming under the bed when the sound of loud voices caught her attention. Thinking the kids were fighting over something, she turned off the vacuum only to realize she was hearing adult voices. Men. She reached the living room in less than two seconds, then froze in the doorway as two police officers looked up at her. She took an automatic step backward and looked around the men to see Rosa and the boys on the porch. One officer went outside and herded the kids off the porch toward a squad car.

  “Are you Chressaidia Salazar?” the other officer asked.

  Chrissy nodded. “That’s right. What’s going on?”

  “We got a call from Silvaria Menendez. Did you take her children without her consent?”

  She tried to look past the officer blocking the front door and thought she caught a glimpse of Rosa’s red shirt but wasn’t sure.

  “Ma’am, did you take her children?”

  Chrissy’s heart was in her throat and pounding wildly. “I picked them up,” she said, making eye contact firmly. “They called me and asked me to come get them—their mother was at work. I assumed she gave permission.” She strained to look out the doorway while putting things together in her mind. Livvy had called the police? The kids hadn’t told their mother they were coming to visit?

  “Why don’t we sit down,” the officer said, indicating Chrissy’s own living room. “So we can figure this out.”

  Chrissy swallowed and did as he said, sitting on the edge of her wicker love seat while he sat down on the couch beside it and opened his notebook. “You say your niece and nephews called you?”

  Chrissy nodded, trying to wet the inside of her mouth which had gone dry.

  “What time did they call you?” the officer asked.

  “Around eleven-thirty this morning,” she said.

  “Did they say they had their mother’s permission?”

  “No,” Chrissy said as the rage began building. “But I assumed they did. It’s ridiculous that my sister called you. She knew they’d be okay with me. I watch them almost every day.”

  “Your sister said there were some problems between the two of you. That you took the kids away from her.”

  “That’s crazy!” Chrissy said, her voice hot.

  Suddenly the second officer came back into the house, moving fast toward his partner. The officer Chrissy had been talking to stood up and conversed with his partner in careful whispers for a moment. Chrissy saw the officer turn toward her, as if in slow motion, a very different look on his face.

  He stepped toward her but she jumped up and took a step around the love seat toward her room.

  “Were you aware of a warrant for your arrest?” the cop asked.

  “Warrant?” Chrissy said, shaking her head fiercely and continuing stepping backward. “I don’t have any warrants.”

  “Okay,” the officer said in a tone she felt sure was supposed to be soothing, but had the opposite effect. “Why don’t we sit back down and talk about this then.”

  “No,” Chrissy said. Her back hit the door frame and she reached out to steady herself with one hand. “I don’t have a warrant and I didn’t kidnap my sister’s kids. I don’t understand what’s happening here but I want you out of my house, now!”

  The officer reached for the handcuffs at his belt. Her panic shot through the roof.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her breathing cut short and her heart speeding up.

  “I need to talk to you, but if you won’t sit down and discuss it—”

  “You’re arresting me for bringing my niece and nephews to my house for an afternoon? Let me talk to my sister, and Rosa—Rosa’s the one who called me.”

  “And you have outstanding warrants—” He acted as if he were going to say more but instead lunged forward and grabbed her arm.

  She yanked it away, taking another step to the left. But he grabbed her other arm and twisted her around, pressing her face against the wall in the hallway. Her head hit a picture of a Mexican village. It fell to the ground, the glass cracking. Rather than submitting, her anger peaked.

  “Aren’t you listening to me? This is insane! I don’t have any warrants!” Chrissy’s brain was buzzing.

  The officer ignored her. “Chressaidia Josefina Salazar, you are hereby under arrest for kidnapping and outstanding warrants of possession and failure to appear. You have the right to remain silent—”

  Chapter 45

  I have never been arrested for drugs!” Chrissy said, too loud and too angry to sound reasonable. She watched TV; she knew what police officers thought of irate defendants . . . or prisoners . . . or whatever she was. The gray-green room they’d put her in at the police station had bars on the window, and one wall was covered in a mirror. She sat in a metal chair on one side of a metal table. A white man who’d introduced himself as Detective Ross sat across from her, watching every movement of her face. She hoped she spit a little when she yelled at him. “There’s been all kinds of weird things happening to me. Someone got a second mortgage on my house. They maxed-out credit cards in my name, bought a car, drained my account. I’ve been working to fix it and—”

  “And your niece and nephews were helping you with that?”

  “No, they called me. They said that Livvy was at work, and they wanted to come over. They come over all the time.”

  “They said they hadn’t been to your house in weeks.”

  Chrissy groaned and put her elbows on the dented metal table between them. She took a deep breath and prayed for calmness. “It’s been about a week and a half, yes—their mother mo
ved away. But she used to live right up the street and I used to watch them every day when their mom was at work.”

  “She said you two had a fight.”

  “Yes, we did,” Chrissy said with forced evenness. “She was moving in with some guy she barely knows and took her kids with her. I thought it was horrible.”

  “So horrible that you’d want to save the kids from it, right? You were only trying to help, right?”

  Chrissy glared at his attempts to play Good Cop. “Rosa called and asked if they could come over. I assumed it was fine with their mother. I missed them and so I picked them up. Please, just let me talk to my sister. I’m sure we can get this all cleared up.”

  “You’re currently unemployed, is that correct?”

  The calmness began retreating far more quickly than it had arrived. “Not like that,” Chrissy hissed. “Not like ‘irresponsible and a drain on society’ unemployed. I’m not even getting unemployment. I’m just . . . between jobs, but I’m doing some work at my old job right now.” In fact, they were expecting her to be there tomorrow morning—in twelve hours.

  “And you’re having financial problems?”

  “Since someone emptied my account, yes.”

  “Why were you in California?”

  “California?” Chrissy asked, backing up a couple inches as she considered this new piece of information.

  “Well, I lived there for awhile, but that was a long time ago.”

  “April,” he said, meeting her eyes again. “That doesn’t seem too long ago.”

  Chrissy pulled her eyebrows together, wishing she dared grab the document from his hands. “I wasn’t in California in April. Is that where the drug charges are from?”

  “Two weeks ago you also failed to appear for your court date, which revokes your bond and adds another felony to your record.”

  “What!” Chrissy screamed. She couldn’t help herself from lunging toward the paper.