In Love by Design (The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod)

by Ellen, Tracy

  I called Luke and his phone rang, but went right to voice mail. I was a little surprised he didn’t pick up. I left a message. “E. This call was intended to ask for your permission to bring a few people over to the farm,” I laughed a little when I added, “for a sleepover. But then I didn’t want you to confuse me with all the people in your life that asked your permission for everything, so I’m telling you that I am.” I lowered my voice. “You can spank me later, if I’m disappointing you.”

  I hesitated, wanting to say more, but shrugged and pressed end. Luke said he’d let me know if he heard from Dickie and anything else I’d rather say in person to my beloved.

  Next I called Mac and she answered with a whispered, “I can’t talk now!”

  “Best news I’ve heard all day, so please just listen. All is well. I swear to God he is true blue, I repeat, he is true blue. I’ll call you tomorrow with the details, but I’m done investigating, over and out.”

  I ended that call without waiting for a response, hoping I was right and really would have the details for Mac tomorrow.

  While I’d been turned around and talking quietly into my phone, Tre had been speaking energetically to Mia. The tone of her voice had gradually returned to her usual upbeat self. Tre J was a fearsome competitor in sports or when riled, but mostly she preferred going with the flow and being a friendly giant.

  Facing them again, Mia’s appraising eyes were regarding me with open curiosity.

  Without any hostility, she politely requested, “I could really use any help you can give and I apologize for being difficult.”

  Tre gave me a wink at my surprised glance at Mia’s attitude adjustment.

  Smiling warmly at the girl, I replied, “Apology accepted, Mia.” I believe I’ve already mentioned that I know women and their love of detailed stories, so I skipped ahead a few steps. “I have a few questions I want you to answer and then we’ll decide on a plan. Sound good so far?”

  At my expectant look, she nodded and I asked, “You have five people illegally in the United States that you are helping, correct?”

  “Yes, three women and two children, both girls. I am…” Mia started to explain more, but I held up a hand to stop her.

  “I’ll want to hear your whole story eventually, but for now just answer my questions. Without telling me where, is there a specific destination for them to reach, and if so, when?”

  Her eyes narrowed at my peremptory interruption, but she answered readily, “Yes, but they can’t arrive until tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Okay, good.” I next asked, “Now that the closet’s secret door has been broken, are they safe staying here in the hidden room in this office until tomorrow?”

  Mia’s hands were fidgeting again and her voice was anguished, “Nobody but Diego and I should have a key to this office door,” However, she wasn’t so anguished that she couldn’t still glare accusingly that I had a key, “so I think so. It’s moving them out of the store tomorrow that will be very difficult. I am so worried, and this is why I’ve accepted your help. I have been working alone and now there is this man…”

  This time I only had to give Mia a frowning look before she sat back with an offended sniff, but her mouth snapped shut. “Mia, believe me, when we have more time, I am going to want to hear every single detail about this man, but my gut is saying we all need to get out of here. What is your gut saying?’

  Mia stared at me, as if not understanding the question.

  Jazy walked out of the closet. “My gut is saying we all need to get out of here right now.” She nodded and smiled briefly at Mia. “Hi, I’m Jasmyn, another of Diego’s sisters-in-law.”

  Mia smiled back a little dazedly and I stood up. I recalled Jazy’s sick feeling last night when I was being abducted and I didn’t need to be told twice.

  Jazy asked, “Bel, what’s the new plan? The girls are ready to go, but they’re waiting for Mia to reassure them everything’s okay.”

  I smiled at how my sister doesn’t even question for a microsecond that we’d leave behind the five females in the secret room to their own fate.

  “Is Anna alright, Jaz?” I asked in return, thinking of her whimpering and screaming in the closet before any of this started.

  “She felt a mouse.” Jazy met my eyes and stated flatly, “It was the broom.”

  Concentrating hard on stuffing Luke’s towel and the flashlight into the duffle, I managed to not lose it at the sight of the utter disgusted bewilderment on my sister’s face at Anna’s fear over a little mouse.

  I asked Mia, “Is the back entrance under surveillance?’

  Black curls swinging, she shook her head no. “I’m here doing my usual shift and have never deviated from my schedule. I’m being stalked personally by a cop.” When I didn’t stop her this time, Mia continued, “He has threatened me before and I think my car’s bugged somehow, but,” she laughed bitterly, “if he suspected I had the girls hidden here, I’d be either in jail or blackmailed onto my back.” In a cynical voice belonging to a forty-year-old and not someone barely twenty, Mia added, “Or probably both.”

  As fascinating as this statement was, I only nodded and motioned the three women in close. “Here’s the plan. It’s a simple bait and switch because people see what they expect to see.” I smiled at the intent faces listening. “Until they see they’re wrong.”

  Ten minutes later, dressed in Mia’s clothes, jacket, shoes, and carrying a Dos Santos grocery bag on my elbow, I exited the front entrance of the store and walked briskly down the block. The jacket hood was pulled up and I’d kept the Vikings hat on with the brim pulled low, but otherwise, our heights and builds were very similar. After observing Mia walk away this afternoon, I put a lot of extra swing in my hips to complete the illusion. If I was being followed, the plan was they weren’t going to be looking too hard at my face.

  Once I’d walked out of the store and into the darkness of the quiet winter night, I didn’t look up from my phone the entire time. Pretending to text, I walked down the street and away from the store. Within a half a block, I saw out of my peripheral vision when a black Ford Taurus slowly overtook me.

  Continuing to walk with my total attention glued to the cell in my hand, I casually pushed the hood back. Reaching the circle of brightness under a streetlamp, I took off my Vikings cap to wipe at my forehead with my forearm and revealed my shining blonde braids.

  The Taurus accelerated up the street, hung a U-ie, passed me by from the opposite side of the street, and sped back in the previous direction.

  I kept walking to the next intersection. As prearranged, I turned right onto that side street and texted the all clear to Jazy. Waiting by a clump of bushes, it was only a minute before the GMC conversion van circled back to pick me up. Nine anxious faces relaxed into big smiles and Anna led the cheer when I climbed into the passenger seat. All the girls had snuck out the back emergency door when I left by the front. That stalking cop was in for a long night watching Dos Santos’ parking lot, if he’s waiting for Mia to leave the store.

  I was not usually grateful to be reminded of the lapses in my formal education, but tonight I was exceedingly thankful that I didn’t speak Spanish. Listening to the excited, chattering voices of Mia, Anna, the three adult Mexican women, and the higher pitch of two young girls, I buckled up. Sinking back into the plush front passenger seat, I let out a deep breath. Across the aisle, Tre gave me a laughing glance of commiseration and hit the gas.

  We dropped Jazy off at my jeep in the Aldi’s parking lot. She was picking up pizzas and salads on the way to join us at the farm for this impromptu slumber party. I pulled rank and forced Anna to ride with my sister, insisting Jazy shouldn’t drive alone. Jazy and Anna weren’t exactly speaking with each other right now due to the invisible mouse episode and the thrashing Anna gave Jazy in the closet. This was before they burst through the flimsy back partition and landed on the laps of the terrified Mexican girls. They both give me dirty looks, but I didn’t care because I was even
less thrilled with them. They were both determined to come over to Luke’s, despite the potential risks. They were worse than a couple of stubborn mules.

  On the drive back to Luke’s place, I mulled over the consequences of my actions tonight. To be prosy, it’s my duty as a citizen to contact the authorities and turn these women in to be dealt with according to the law. If I’m caught helping these five strangers, I could be prosecuted and end up in jail.

  I don’t have a firm position on the issue of illegal aliens in our country because, honestly, I haven’t given it much serious thought. Off the cuff, I don’t think people seeking a better life should be allowed to waltz into our country by illegal means simply because we share a physical border.

  Having foreign friends, I’ve heard of the mountains of paperwork involved, as well as the time, effort, and cost people put into legally becoming a citizen of the United States, or of any other country. I grasped the problems and resentments caused by illegal’s residing in our country, especially when granted amnesty after living here unlawfully. They’ve broken many of our other laws while doing so, laws that citizens were routinely fined and jailed over.

  However, facing five Mexican females who can’t stop hugging each other while speaking broken English and offering their undying gratitude to Mia and Team Ninja, it was hard to care about upholding the laws we have in place. These were living, breathing women scared out of their wits. From what I’ve gathered, they’ve escaped from some hellish town on the Mexican border where their husbands were gunned down. Call me unpatriotic and hypocritical, but I didn’t think three women and two girls were going to make or break the economic future of the United States when compared to the twenty million people already floating around illegally in our country.

  I was responsible for knowingly breaking the law. That was why I forced Anna to ride with Jazy and why I tried to quietly convince Tre to let me drive the van to Luke’s house. This was my bright idea tonight and we don’t all have to fry for it should we be unfortunate enough to get pulled over for some Godforsaken reason between here and the farm.

  Like many Norwegians, Tre also has a stubborn streak that was as deep as the earth’s core and she wouldn’t budge, either. She gently informed me that she’d received pictures of my jeep wheels and was much more concerned that I would damage the brand new van she’d borrowed from another relative. Tre’s rep couldn’t take two destroyed vans within two weeks, but apparently a prison sentence didn’t faze her.

  She laughed, as I exclaimed, “That damn asswipe Reggie!” She shot me a reproachful glance when I mumbled crankily, “As for you, boy or girl, I hereby pronounce the name of your third child to be Hedda!”

  As we approached Reggie’s without any sirens flagging us down or a black Taurus giving chase, Tre gracefully accepted my apology for my low blood sugar threat when I promised to reconsider her child’s name.

  Driving past, I caught winking glimpses of my brother’s lake house blazing with light through the towering oak’s bare branches in his front yard. Christmas tree lights blinked merrily on and off in the living room windows. A dozen cars and trucks were parked outside and the annual poker party was in full swing.

  It was only 9:30 PM, so I assumed Luke was showing some holiday spirit and hadn’t separated all the men from their weekly paychecks quite yet. I found myself hoping James Byrd was there and giving my boyfriend a run for his money.

  At the farm, I unlocked the back door to Luke’s house and herded everyone into the kitchen. During this shuffle, it was with the deepest regret that I unobtrusively closed and locked the wedged open door to the Bat Cave.

  Luke may have shown Anna his control room, but I wasn’t allowing a bunch of strangers down there. I didn’t know if Luke received only text alerts on his phone from his security system, or if he gets a visual, but I did a dancing circle, waving and smiling for the hidden camera. Either way, if Mr. Tricky checks his phone he’ll see I was back at the farm.

  Tre was glancing around Luke’s house with interest and slowly followed the group while I showed Mia and the five Mexicans the two spare bedrooms.

  Mia was staying here, too, until the women and children could be relocated tomorrow, so I explained they’ll be sharing these rooms and beds. I took Mia aside and told her that everyone was welcome to come to the dining room for a meal when Jazy and Anna arrived, but otherwise, I preferred the group to stay in their rooms and get a good night’s sleep. Mia cheerfully agreed, and I offered them the use of the bathroom to take showers. I couldn’t imagine they’ve had much chance to bathe properly holed up in Diego’s office and sneaking to use the restrooms after hours. I got them down extra pillows and blankets found in a closet while Mia translated.

  Remembering the spartan conditions of the main bathroom from our earlier exploration of Luke’s house, I grabbed a stack of towels and wash clothes from the linen closet in the hall. I added my own bottles of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a tube of toothpaste to the pile. The women all carried backpacks, so they probably had toothbrushes and combs of their own, or they could use their fingers because that’s where I drew the line at sharing. They all talked noisily and gestured to each other to sort out the arrangements, as Tre and I waited patiently by the bedroom door.

  None of the three adult women seemed older than thirty and my mind attempted to understand how desperate their lives must have been to embark on this escape into another country. Defenseless, and with their children in tow, Minnesota was a very long distance to travel dependent on the kindness of strangers for your very lives.

  Regardless of my sympathy, and even my admiration for their bravery, I still don’t know these women and that included the fiery, idealistic Mia Besosa. I don’t get any bad vibes from the group, but they won’t have unsupervised run of Luke’s house and I will have my purse on me at all times. After Luke got home, he could decide where they could hang out tomorrow until they leave.

  ‘If he doesn’t kick your butt out for turning his home into a three-ring circus!’ warned the mean mommy voice.

  “Geez, don’t you ever need sleep?” I grumbled under my breath, but Luke’s house did resemble a circus over the next couple of hours.

  Jazy and Anna arrived with the food and all ten of us pulled up chairs around the dining room table. We chowed down sausage and pepperoni pizza like we hadn’t eaten in days. Anna and Mia were kept busy translating, as we all got better acquainted. Soon we were all busy talking and laughing while Rosita, Maria, Guadalupe, Maria Jr., and Gabrielle took turns showering.

  Tre kept an eye on the group for me when I discovered the second door in the back entry hall led into a large laundry room.

  I totally agree, my abducted weekend into supposed sexual slavery just wouldn’t be complete without doing a load of laundry or two.

  So I had Rosita bring me all their dirty clothes, and soon the swishing of the washing machine and the tumbling dryer added background music to the general noise and confusion. I quickly changed into yoga pants and a T-shirt, and threw Mia’s work clothes into the washer, too.

  During a moment of blissful isolation in the kitchen, I checked my phone for messages and was disappointed to see nothing from Dickie or Luke. Dickie’s time was almost up. I looked up from my phone when Jazy came into the kitchen carrying a pile of dirty paper plates and napkins.

  She tossed them into the garbage and asked, “So, what do you think about Diego? Do we have to take him down for getting some on the side? Or has he been freaked out like a little wimp at having five girls hiding in his office and that’s why he’s been acting like an idiot to Mac?”

  I laughed helplessly at Jazy’s blunt rendition of the situation, but I nodded. “I absolutely think he’s been freaked out. I sincerely don’t believe Diego will ever cheat on Mac.”

  “Really?” Jazy was surprised because “ever” wasn’t a word in her vocabulary. Skeptically, she raised her brows. “Then why doesn’t Mac trust him?”

  “Our sister has issues,” I replie
d, shrugging. “Mia hasn’t told me everything yet, and I don’t know how she convinced Diego to help in the first place, but I do know she swore him to secrecy. It must not have crossed his mind to have bargained with Mia to be allowed to tell Mac before he agreed.”

  Jazy shook her head and chuckled. “I’m sure boy toy’s life has been a living hell!”

  I agreed, smiling ruefully. “Poor Diego’s been caught smack dab between a rock and a hard place named Mia and Mac. God forbid, he had to honor his sainted word above anything else--even his wife.”

  My little sister wasn’t burdened with insignificant issues like honor where the opposite sex was concerned and shook her head again. “Sheesh, men!” She frowned and asked, “What was the money all about then? Why do you think Diego was so friggin’ stupid to ask Mac for the money, if he wasn’t going to tell her anything?”

  Lifting my eyes, I tapped my chin with a finger. “Hmm, let’s see, men and logic…”

  Jazy and I laughed together.

  Her eyes got a faraway gleam and she whistled softly. “Now wouldn’t it be way cool to work at your desk all day knowing people are hiding a few feet away, and if you get caught you all go to prison?’

  I shuddered and reared back to look at this pretty creature that shared my blood, with her curly hair, charming dimples, and blue eyes as soft as dewy pansies. “Holy Crap, no! Don’t you remember poor Anne Frank?” At Jazy’s blank stare, I threw my hands up. “Young Jewish girl, hiding in the secret annex? Ring a bell?”

  “In Northfield?” Jazy asked doubtfully, twirling a curl.

  “In the Netherlands!” I answered on a groan, covering my face.

  Jazy laughed loudly and punched me lightly on the shoulder. “That was too easy! You must be slipping, Bel,” her eyes narrowed suspiciously, “or something really is wrong?”

  I peeked at her over my hands and murmured fervently, “Oh, thank you! I really was worried about you.” I frowned at her, and prodded back, “Were you teasing about the working at the desk part or just the part about Anne Frank?”