“Well, courage is one word. It was definitely a risk.”
“She just did it. She understood the problem. She understood how everything was going to go bad, how it was going to go bad for Malaya’s father. She just fixed it. She fixed the problem, all by herself.”
“I guess. I’m not sure. I mean, if Malaya’s father had had a gun, they would have arrested him. I’m sure of that.”
“Maybe he wouldn’t have let them take him.”
“Oh. Yeah. That would have been bad.”
“It would have been bad for Malaya,” Honorata said. “She would never recover from this. In her own house. After she found him. So mad at me.”
“Yeah. I think you’re right. I think that would have been terrible for Malaya.”
“So. Engracia. This young woman. Who lost her child. She saved mine.”
Coral’s eyes watered. It was true, probably. If Engracia had gotten the gun away from Malaya’s father. If it was because of her that the whole thing hadn’t exploded.
“Does Malaya know this?”
“No. Malaya doesn’t know her father had a gun.”
“She told me about Engracia’s son. How Engracia told you and her father about him.”
“Yes, she knows that.”
“So, what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that a very nice woman has a gun, and is not legal, and also, her son has died.”
Yes. Coral agreed. The gun was dangerous in anyone’s hands, and certainly in Engracia’s. She’d be deported in a minute if she were caught with it. And, too, she was awfully vulnerable right now. A gun could be dangerous in so many ways.
“Have you talked with her? Asked her about the gun?”
“No.”
“Do you think you could do that?”
“No.”
Coral waited.
“Engracia doesn’t like me, I think. She doesn’t like that I didn’t tell Malaya’s father about her.”
“She said this?”
“No.”
“Well, okay. But you’re just going to call her and ask about the gun. See if she got rid of it. Where it is.”
“Maybe the police are listening to my phone.”
“I doubt it.”
“Maybe her number doesn’t work anymore.”
“Her phone? Did you try it?”
“Yes. It’s disconnected.”
“Well, I don’t know how we would find her. Do you know her last name?”
“Montoya.”
“Okay. Engracia Montoya. Illegal immigrant. We’re not finding her.”
“I worry about it every night. I worry about her. I want to help her.”
“Well. How did you hire her? Do you know someone that knows her?”
“Father Burns. From Saint Anne’s church. He asked me to hire her. He knows her.”
“Okay. Well. Call him.”
This was getting a little frustrating. Why was Coral here?
“No. I can’t call. She won’t take my call, and Father Burns won’t tell me about her.”
“So?”
“You could call Father Burns. You could talk with Engracia.”
“Me? That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“It does. You’re a teacher. People feel safe with teachers. I want to give her some money.” Honorata pulled out an envelope thick with cash. “For saving my daughter. You can give this to her. And you can tell her about the gun; about how they will deport her.”
Honorata pushed the envelope of cash across the table, and Coral was looking at it, thinking this felt weirdly wrong, like a drug deal or something.
“I don’t know anything about deportation. Nothing.”
“Your husband’s an immigrant.”
Coral couldn’t think of anything to say. Koji had been an American citizen for years. And Honorata was an immigrant too. Her neighbor could be so odd. It was kind of her to want to give this money to Engracia, Coral appreciated that, but it wasn’t anything Coral could do for her. The boys wanted to see a movie today. She had hoped to bag items for the Salvation Army to pick up. It was time to go.
“Please, Coral. I trust you. Just call her. Find a way to give her the money. Get the gun. Make sure she doesn’t have the gun. I can’t sleep at all. I think of her every night, and I need your help.”
Coral wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want to get in the middle of this. But the truth was that she’d been thinking about Engracia too. She hadn’t known about the gun, of course, but she remembered the housekeeper sitting in her car, wanting to go to the church, looking for a place that was safe. Malaya had said her son was ten years old. So was Isa.
Oh, what the hell. Augusta would have said yes.
“Okay. Honorata, I’ll try. I’ll see if I can find her, if she’ll talk to me. I don’t know when. But I’ll work on it. I’ll let you know.”
She regretted it the second she said it.
But it was too late. Honorata’s face was transformed. Coral rarely saw her neighbor look unguarded in this way. Her eyes were bright, and she was smiling, and she reached out to take Coral’s hand.
Well, all right. This would be awkward, but she would do it.
Coral didn’t do anything about the envelope of cash for several days. She told Koji what Honorata had asked, and he raised his eyebrows when he saw how much money it was, but he told Coral it wouldn’t hurt to try. For sure, Engracia could use the money.
On Wednesday, she looked up the number for Saint Anne’s and left a message with the receptionist asking the priest to call her.
“Hello?”
“Coral Jackson? This is Father Burns.”
“Father, thanks for calling. I appreciate it. Listen, I’m looking for a woman. She did some housekeeping for my neighbor. Her name is Engracia Montoya?”
“Oh, Engracia. Yes. She isn’t working as a housekeeper now. I’m sorry.”
“Oh no, I don’t want her to clean my house. I wanted to talk with her. I wondered if you had a phone number.”
“Well, um . . .”
“I gave her a ride home one day. Something happened in the neighborhood, and I gave her a ride. And I’ve been worried about her. I know about her son. I know she lost her child.”
“Yes. Engracia has had a difficult time.”
He sounded like an old man, rather formal, like someone with money. Not quite the way she imagined a priest.
“I just want to make sure she’s okay. And there’s something else. Something I want to talk to her about. I have something to give her.”
“Well, I can see. Perhaps I can call Engracia. She’ll have to call you.”
“Sure. Here’s my phone number. If she wants, all three of us can talk. If that would make her feel better.”
“Well, I’ll see. She’ll probably be here tonight, and I’ll ask her. Okay?”
“Thank you, Father.”
Of course, Engracia did not call. Coral had to call twice more, feeling a little more foolish each time, but she had this stupid envelope of cash, and there was still the question of the gun. Coral was not about to ask Father Burns if he knew about the gun. She did say that she knew someone who wanted to give Engracia a gift.
She almost missed the call when it came.
It was early on a Saturday morning, not even light. She didn’t recognize the number, and she was just about to roll over and fall back to sleep when she thought of Engracia.
“Hello?”