Living Right on Wrong Street Read Free Page B

There wasn’t an adequate response to what she’d just been told.
    â€œTechnically, I don’t have a record,” Job said with a hailstorm of defensiveness in his voice. “I didn’t steal the money. I wasn’t the one who went to prison. Baby, you’ve got to trust me on this. Not bringing it up was the better thing to do.”
    The more Job spoke, the more Monica’s neck tightened and her sight fogged. She jerked the top sheet up above her shoulders as she sat upright on the mattress. “So you made up something and lied? Joseph Bertram Wright. We won’t make it through life in any kind of decent shape like this. Trust you? You should have trusted God and told the truth.”
    â€œIf I’d done it your way, there’s a great chance I wouldn’t have gotten the job.” He moved over to her and sat on the bed. “Monica, it’s not doing anybody any harm. Leave it alone, please.”
    She felt dizzy, hoping that he was about to admit the joke, but his punch line never came. “How in the world did they do a background check and nothing came up?” she asked.
    Job shook his head. “I don’t know. And don’t you go stirring up anything,” he said.
    â€œI’ll be sure to keep some boxes packed when we get to Phoenix because the tables are sure to turn on us.” She felt tears surfacing. “Now I know I need to keep a job.”
    Job sucked his teeth. “Whatever.”
    â€œShake me off if you want to, man. Things won’t be right until you show some honesty. Mark my word.”
    Job rose off the mattress and checked his towel. “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell them everything.”
    â€œCharacter’s a big part of this new career you call yourself pursuing,” she said. “I wonder if you’ll want your business students to be truthful.”
    â€œThis has nothing to do with my effectiveness as a teacher.” Job stomped off to the bathroom. He might as well have. Anything else that morning would’ve been wasted words.
    Monica made it to her Louisville job, the marketing firm of Cavin & Kross, later that morning. She had hoped that her day would be filled with tearful good-byes, well wishes, going away gifts and such. Instead, she went on a quest for answers. She phoned their family attorney, Wendy Axford, and left a message. Wendy returned the call after lunch, around one-thirty. Their schedules prevented them from meeting, so Monica had to be satisfied with stating her concerns via telephone.
    â€œAll he had to do was mark ‘Yes’ on the form and say that the culprit was behind bars,” she told Wendy. “He could’ve given a written explanation of his negligence on the application. I thought he understood that when you counseled him after the trial.”
    Wendy confirmed her belief. “The main reason schools have criminal background checks is to weed out violent felons, child molesters, DUI, and drug offenders.”
    â€œBut how is it that the conviction didn’t show up in their check? At least, I don’t guess it did. Come to think of it, Job didn’t mention it, so, I’m assuming.”
    â€œI’m stabbing in the dark, because I don’t know Arizona’s procedures and statutes. It differs from state to state.”
    â€œWhat’s your best guess?” Monica asked.
    â€œThe case results apparently haven’t been entered into the database. It’s only been thirty days since the judgment was rendered. His timing was lucky.”
    â€œOr blessed,” Monica said. “I imagine if I convince Job to call Paradise Schools and ask to correct his app, they would do it.”
    â€œI wouldn’t make a call. I wouldn’t try to make things right with the district. Monica, I wouldn’t do a thing.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œIf he’s already lied on the application and they’re considering him for the