There is a saying that goes, “If you want something done right, ask the busiest person.” Kaylyn thought about that when she was asked to head the fundraiser for the little charter school that her children attended. With her husband, Jack, on the city council, she bore most of the responsibility for their three children, and she doubted anyone could be busier than she was. Still, she accepted.

As things often happen, everything hit at once. On the weekend of the fundraiser, the mayor, Jack, and the rest of the city council had a meeting with the governor. She was grateful that the ladies she had asked to help pulled through on their assignments, and the fundraiser went well. The event brought in even more than expected, money that the little school desperately needed.

Kaylyn was also grateful that her oldest had reached the age where she could care for things at home and watch the two younger children. Because there was over ten thousand dollars, Kaylyn wanted to finish things up and get the money to the bank, so she sent her children home with a friend. She had already prepared for this and had their favorite snacks and the movie they wanted.

After everyone else was gone, Kaylyn had to count the money to record it on the form that would go with the deposit envelope that she would have to put in the drop box since the bank was closed. She had piled most of the quarters, dimes, nickels, and multiple denominations of bills into piles set out all over the school office floor when her cell phone rang. It was her oldest daughter, and Kaylyn had forgotten to send the house key with them, leaving her children locked out of the house.

Kaylyn hated leaving that much money just sitting on the school floor, but she quickly locked up and rushed home. She had just opened the door for her children when she saw the motorcycle. Jack had been teaching her to ride it and encouraged her to do so when she drove alone. “The van takes a lot of gas,” he told her. “And the motorcycle will save money.” She decided to take it. She knew it would please Jack to know she was trying to conserve their family finances.

Kaylyn had only reached the first intersection from their home when she had trouble. A dump truck had spilled some sand there, and when she hit it, the motorcycle started to slide. Trying to keep balance, she laid the motorcycle almost flat as she slid across the intersection and onto the median. She was banged up a fair amount, and her leg was swollen, but all she could think about was the money that she was responsible for sitting on the school floor.

She knew the motorcycle wasn’t going anywhere, so she left it there and limped home as quickly as she could. She told her children what she was doing, then rushed off in the van to return to the school.

It wasn’t long before the police found the abandoned motorcycle. They traced the plate and went to Kaylyn’s home. When they asked the children if they knew anything about why the motorcycle had been left in the middle of the road, the oldest daughter told them that her mother said she had to rush back to get the money that had been left on the ground.

And that’s when the real trouble began. The police had just dealt with some major drug busts, and an abandoned vehicle and money all over the ground sounded like a hot case, if ever there was one. They asked to search the house, and the children invited them in. Not finding anything besides the regular laundry and other housework to be done, they decided to look deeper, and that’s when the trail led to Jack, who was involved in the conversation at the governor’s office. Meanwhile, Kaylyn was innocently counting the school’s money, not knowing Jack, the police, and the governor’s office were now all on high alert, looking for her.

(To be continued)