“Everything’s great,” she said. “It’s all taken care of.” She was about to say more when the ringing of her cell phone interrupted her.
Collins nodded to the phone. “Go on, take it. It might be about the Camden property. Nice ad by the way.
“Thanks, I’m hoping for a bidding war,” she smiled. She looked at her caller id and recognized the number as her sister’s. “Hey, Ally. What’s up?”
“Jess, I need to see you,” Ally said.
“I can’t right now. I’m working. Then tonight. I’m taking Danny to a movie--but you’re welcome to come.” Jess said as she walked over to her desk and put her purse down.
“Jess, you don’t understand. It’s important. I need a favor...”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ally was at the door before Jess could ring the bell. "Good, you're here.”
As usual, Ally looked glamorous even though she wore black jeans and a black cashmere sweater, her hair was shiny and sleek.
Jess followed her into the living room. Ally poured herself a Dewar's at the black granite bar and gulped it down. As though suddenly remembering her sister, she turned to Jess. "Drink?"
"It’s a little early for me,” Jess said. She noticed that her sister was not her usual self but instead seemed nervous and jumpy. She walked over to the couch and sat down, wondering what it was her sister wanted from her. She decided to let Ally broach the topic in her own good time.
Ally lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. "I need you to drive down to Mexico for me. Tomorrow.”
Jess stared at her. "Mexico? You’re kidding. Why?”
Ally ignored her questions and walked back behind the bar where she retrieved a white cowboy hat. She laid it on the bar. "It’s simple. You'll be wearing a hat like this. You'll sit outside at the Flores cafe and put your hat on the table. At exactly four o'clock, a man will come up and switch hats with you. Then you drive back here. That's it."
Jess stared at her. The oddity of the request and Ally's nervous manner scared her. She could tell that his favor wasn't as simple as Ally was making it out to be and wondered if there was something illegal in what her sister was asking of her. She wanted to ask but was afraid of the answer.
"So, are you in?" Ally asked.
"I don't understand. What’s this about?”
"Look, it’s simple. I do it every month and I've never had a problem. It happens that tomorrow something came up so I can't go."
"But...are the hats? I mean, are they...is it... "
Ally jabbed out her cigarette "The less you ask the better, Jess. Honestly, I don't know what's in the hats and I don't ask."
Smuggling, Jess thought. To Mexico. Or from Mexico. She felt her heart pounding at the thought. "Is it drugs? Are you involved in drugs?" She couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice. "I can't get involved in something like that. I have a son."
Ally walked over to the couch and stood over her sister. "Jessica, I did you a favor when you needed it. I didn't ask a lot of questions or get all high and mighty on you, did I?"
Jess looked down at her lap. It was true, Ally had helped her at a time when she had nowhere else to turn. Furthermore she’d promised she’d do anything to return the favor, never dreaming her sister would ask her to do something illegal. It all felt like a bad dream.
“Fine,” Jess said softly without looking at her sister. "I'll do it.”
Ally’s sigh was audible. She sat down in the chair opposite her sister and lit another cigarette. "I knew you'd keep your word, Jess. The important thing is, you’re not to mention it to anyone."
Jess nodded, averting her eyes.
"Jess, look at me.”
She looked at Ally who now appeared calm and in control.
“I mean ever," Ally emphasized. "I'd get in trouble and so would you. Do you understand? It would be very bad for both of us if you told anyone."
Jess felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She knew it was all a huge mistake but she couldn’t back out now. She’d made a promise. "The problem is…I have to work tomorrow, and I promised to take Danny to...."
"Call in sick. Get a baby-sitter for Danny. Do whatever the hell it takes. The important thing is that you be here promptly at twelve noon tomorrow. And don't tell a soul where you're going. Do you understand?"
Jess nodded and stood up, feeling dazed, as though she were moving under water. She found it hard to breathe as she made her way out the door without saying good-by to her sister. There was no one to blame but herself. She'd gotten herself into this mess, and she would have to live up to her end of the bargain.
Once in her car, she tried to reassure herself. If Ally did this every month, how dangerous could it be? Besides once she did this favor, she’d no longer be beholden to Ally.
All that night Jess tossed and turned, afraid of what she’d gotten herself into. Leave it to Ally to be involved in something illegal. It had to be illegal. She was sure of it. Why else would Ally be so nervous and secretive about it?
Smuggling. It had to be drug smuggling. The very thought made Jess ill. That would certainly explain Ally's fabulous Palisades house, her great clothes and extravagant lifestyle, all without any evident means of support.
Jess assumed that some man had been bankrolling her sister. Or perhaps several men––and to be honest, she hadn't wanted to know the details. Now however she was being drawn into it against her will. Against her better judgment.
And it was her own fault. She couldn't even blame Ally for this. She'd gotten herself into it and now she would have to get herself out. That was all there was to it.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
It was a perfect Southern California day, sunny and 73 degrees, but Jess was too nervous to appreciate it. She drove to Ally’s in a daze.
The night before, she’d phoned Lars and arranged for him to pick Danny up from school that day and keep him overnight. She’d claimed that she had an important meeting which was going to go late.
Then, that morning, she’d called in sick to work and asked Sally to rearrange all of her appointments. Everything seemed to be taken care of.
“It’s going to be fine,” she told herself, willing her heart to stop pounding in her ears. “It’s just one day and then it will all be over.”
At exactly noon, Ally opened the door and greeted Jess. She appeared to be back to her usual calm self as she gave Jess the once over. “You okay?”
Jess nodded nervously as Ally led the way into her bedroom. A black leather mini skirt and a black, scoop-necked sweater lay on top of the white duvet. Ally motioned toward it. "Put it on."
Jess looked at the outfit, then back at Ally. “I have to wear that?”
Alley pursed her lips obviously trying to control her irritation. "Look, you're me for the day, okay? This is what I'd wear. So..."
Jess nodded and began to undress. She unbelted her car coat, slipped out of it and folded it over a nearby chair, then she removed her grey tee shirt and jeans. and squeezed herself into the tight fitting mini skirt. She sucked in her stomach to zip it up, wondering how she’d be able to wear it for an entire day.
Ally handed her a pair of four-inch high black Jimmy Choo sandals. Jess grimaced but didn't say a word. She sat down on the bed and strapped her feet into the shoes, hoping that she wouldn't twist an ankle when she tried to walk in them.
Ally then led Jess over to her dressing table and went to work on her. She released her thick blonde hair from its ponytail and began blowing it out with a professional blow-dryer. Then she applied color onto Jess’s cheeks, lips and eyes.
Finally Ally took a step back and looked at Jess in the mirror.”Perfect.”
Except for the look of fear and anxiety in her green eyes, Jess had to agree. She not only looked more beautiful but wilder and sexier then she’d ever seen herself.
She looked just like Ally.
"Now remember the instructions. You have to be at the Cafe Flores at exactly four o'clock to make the exchange of hats. And yo
u have to get back across the border before six o’clock.”
"Why is that?"
"We have a woman working the border. She knows me and she'll be keeping his eye out for my car on the trip back. She gets off duty at six, though, so you have to be there before then."
Ally took another drag on her cigarette and looked at Jess thoughtfully. " She might ask for your ID, but don’t worry. The purse I'm giving you has my ID in it. She'll let you pass without any kind of search. And she'll keep the dogs away from your car."
Now, Jess thought, back out now. Tell her you can't do this. There’s no possible way on earth that you can do this. Just tell her, Jess screamed to herself.
But instead of saying anything, she looked at Ally and nodded silently. She took the white purse Ally handed her and walked towards the door.
"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?"
Jess froze.
"The hat." Ally picked up the cowboy hat from the dresser and walked over and placed it on Jess's head. Jess struggled to balance it. It fit perfectly but was uncomfortably heavy––heavier than any regular cowboy hat.
"Please tell me what’s in it, Ally. You owe me that much."
. "I owe you?” Ally snorted. “Let’s remember who owes who, here.” She reached out and straightened the hat on her sister’s head. “Just keep it on at all times. The only time you take it off is at the cafe when you make the exchange. Got it?”
Jess nodded as Ally handed Jess the keys to her Jag. “Drive carefully.”
Jess got into her sister's Jag and pulled the door shut. Like any deal with the devil, this one would take place in luxury, Jess mused, as the Jag's engine purred to life. She put the car in gear and drove off.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Out of LA, traffic on the freeway eased and Jess started to breathe more easily. She reminded herself that Ally had made this drive many times and nothing bad had ever happened to her.
Strip malls, factories and brown hills passed by in a soothing blur and she was soon able to think more clearly about the errand she was on. She concluded that, on the drive down, at least, she was safe.
There were no special instructions about crossing into Mexico, so she figured that whatever was hidden inside her hat, was probably okay. Money, no doubt. She was making some kind of exchange, so money had to be part of the equation.
The danger would come on the way back, when she was smuggling, God-knows-what back into the country. But she wouldn't let herself think about it and get all worked up. It was too late for that. Turning on the radio, she decided she would take the day in segments. And for now, at least, she was fine.
Near the Mexican border, the four lanes magically became eight and each car ahead of her stopped at the customs checkpoint, where they were given either the green light to continue or the red light indicating that they had to pull over for further inspection.
Jess’s heart hammered in her chest as she pulled her car forward. Please let it be green, she prayed. She stopped her car and waited. To her relief she was waved through without a second glance.
She checked her watch and saw she was making good time.
In Mexico, she followed the signs to El Centro, passing cheap car repair shops on both sides of the road. The streets teemed with people, buses, trucks and cars––some of which looked new, some barely driveable. She had trouble making her way down the narrow crowded streets without hitting any of the pedestrians who crossed into traffic, oblivious of the cars coming their way.
Tijuana, a kaleidoscope of colors, smells and sounds threatened to overwhelm her. But she stuck to Ally's directions and made her way to La Revolucion then drove around, trying to find a place to park.
On Ally’s advice, she ignored the child-beggars who ran alongside her car.
She found a parking spot on a small side street and got out of the car, struck by the smell. A mixture of cooking meat, car exhaust and sweet tobacco. Tourists, college students, and locals crowded the streets giving the place the appearance of one huge, disorganized party.
”Cafe Flores?" she asked a basket seller who answered her by pointing straight ahead. As she pushed her way through crowd, someone bumped into her, jostling her hat. She grabbed it to keep it in place and kept walking.
Just past the pharmacia, Jess spotted the café, which was hard to miss. Its exterior was a large mural of boldly colored flowers in vibrant pinks, purples and greens. It stood out, even on this colorful street. Jess headed into the large outdoor patio and saw that most of the tables were filled, but she was able to grab a spot, just as a group of college kids in USC sweatshirts got up to leave.
Taking a seat, she removed the cowboy hat from her head and placed it on the table. Then she sat back and waited.
"Senorita?" The waiter placed a menu on the table. "Something to drink before you order?"
"Iced tea, please,” she said, and checked her watch. It was one minute to four and no one had come to make the exchange. She looked around, wishing Ally had given her a better description of the man she was supposed to meet. The only thing she’d knew was that he would be wearing a cowboy hat— which was no help since every fourth person seemed to be wearing one.
Jess noticed the same man who'd bumped into her earlier, standing across the street, looking in her direction. Probably a coincidence she told herself. She wasn’t going to let her imagination carry her away––otherwise she’d swear he was an undercover policeman ready to arrest her once she'd made the switch. But then again, maybe everyone looked suspicious when you were feeling guilty.
Impatient and nervous, Jess checked her watch again. It was four twenty and the man still hadn't shown up. She didn’t know what to do. She had to get back across the border by six and had no idea how long that would take. Should she leave now? It wasn't her fault if the guy didn't show up. Fighting back her panic, she searched through Ally's purse for a cell phone. She'd call her sister and ask her what to do.
“Sentarne aqui" a man said, motioning to the empty chair across from her. Jess looked up and immediately saw his white hat. "Puedo sentarne aqui?" He repeated. Without waiting for an answer he pulled out the chair, swung his leg over, and sat down.
He was wiry, about twenty-five or thirty, with dark hair and tanned skin. He wore tight-fitting jeans and a red checked shirt. A small gold cross hung at his neck, a toothpick dangled from his lips.
He took off his hat and placed it on the table next to Jess's. So this was it. Jess prayed that he’d take her hat and leave. She waited, holding her breath.
Instead he leaned forward and placed his hand over hers and said something in Spanish which she didn't understand. She tensed, but didn't pull her hand away, thinking this was part of the plan––pretending to know one another. The man said something else in Spanish and when she didn’t respond, he shrugged, picked up her hat and placed it on his head. He took a sip of her tea, stood and turned to leave. Jess felt a surge of relief. "Adios," he said.
She watched him disappear into the crowd, her heart racing. She looked around to see if anyone was watching but as far as she could tell no one was.
It was almost over!
But this wasn’t the time to let her guard down. There was still the trip back. She looked at her watch, it was already 4:54. If she hurried she could still make it to the border checkpoint on time. She tossed her money down on the table and picked up the replacement hat, and fit it securely on her head. It felt similar in weight to the one she'd worn on the drive down and for the thousandth time she wondered what was inside it.
She took one final look around then headed back into the street.
For a few terrifying moments she thought the Jag was missing, then she spotted it on the other side of the street. As she walked toward it, she saw him again. The same man. Standing not five feet from her car. Though she tried to avoid looking at him, she felt his eyes on her.
She quickly unlocked the door, and climbed into the car. But when she turned the key in the ignition, she was me
t by a sputtering sound. She tried again but the damned car wouldn't start. "Damnit!" she pounded the steering wheel.
In the rear view mirror, she saw that the man was approaching her. He appeared at her window a moment later and motioned for her to roll it down.
She shook her head and tried to start the car, she was only succeeding in flooding the engine. He tapped on her window. "Senorita need help? Your car, it won’t start? "
She shook her head again and turned the key.
“I have mechanic. We go for drink while we wait!”
She shook her head and tried again. This time the engine caught and she quickly put the car in reverse and pulled out onto the street. She had less than an hour to make it back to the border.
Jess told herself to keep calm. Or at least to appear calm. She was five cars back and it was already ten to six. Her head felt sweaty under the heavy cowboy hat and her long hair was matted against her neck. She wondered if the customs agents would sense her fear.
As she waited, she imagined how cool Ally would be in the same situation. Her sister couldn't have picked a worse accomplice if she tried. There was a reason Jess never did anything dishonest. Besides her innate sense of morality, she was a terrible liar. Always had been. Even as kids, when she and Ally switched identities as a joke, Ally never had any problem imitating her, but Jess, for the life of her, could never master Ally's cool, don't-give-a-shit, attitude. She couldn't lie to save her life.
She nervously fiddled with the radio and Spanish music blared out at her. Unable to anything that would calm her nerves, she flipped it off. It was now five minutes to six and there were at least three cars in front of her. Adding to her anxiety were the Mexican guards who were walking between the cars with their large dogs sniffing for contraband.
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