I look at Chloe. Her eyes are wide.
"Can you tell me who issued the check?"
"I'm sorry, that information is confidential. I can only confirm that the check is valid and the funds are guaranteed."
"Can you tell me anything else? Anything at all?"
There's sympathy in her voice. "I understand this must be confusing. But I'm not authorized to provide account holder information. What I can tell you is that this is a legitimateinstrument from our institution. Beyond that, you'd need to speak with the account holder directly."
"Right. Okay. Thank you."
I hang up. Chloe and I stare at each other.
"It's real," she says.
"It's real."
"Someone you don't know just gave you almost four hundred thousand dollars."
I pick up the card again.You deserve better. P.C.
"What do I do?"
Chloe stands and starts pacing. She does this when she's thinking, working through legal problems in her head. "First, we figure out if this is legal. I mean, is this money laundering? Is someone using you to hide assets? Could you get in trouble just for depositing it?"
"I don't know. How do I find that out?"
"You could ask a lawyer. A real one, not a second-year law student." She gives me a rueful smile. "But lawyers cost money you don't have."
"I could have money. Almost four hundred thousand dollars worth of money."
"If you deposit it."
"Right. If I deposit it."
We're both quiet. I can hear her neighbor's television through the wall, some morning show with canned laughter.
"Tell me the truth," I say. "What would you do?"
Chloe sits back down. "Honestly? I don't know. Part of me says run. This is how people get caught up in criminal enterprises or worse. Someone gives you money, then they own you."
"That's what my mother would say."
"Your mother is smart."
"My mother is in a hospital bed because she was too proud to accept help." The words come out sharper than I mean them to. "Sorry. I just... I'm tired of being poor because she chose to be poor."
Chloe reaches over and squeezes my hand. "I know. And I know you're desperate. But desperate people make bad decisions."
"So what's the good decision here?"
"I don't know if there is one." She picks up the check again. "But if you're going to deposit this, and I can see that you're thinking about it, we need ground rules."
"Like what?"
"Like you don't spend the money until you know who sent it and what they want. You deposit it, fine. It clears, great. But it sits in your account until P.C. makes contact again."
"And if they don't?"
