Page 67 of Deadly Little Scandals
I counted the silence that followed that question with the
beats of my heart.One. Two. Three.I made it to six before I got my answer, in equal parts because my heart was racing and because the woman across from me knew how to use silence as a weapon.
“Of course she does. You think living in a place like Two Arrows makes us monsters? Hell, girlie, I birthed six babies of my own and would give my life for every one. Beth’s one of my grandbabies. I’d put all three of you and that hoity-toity bitch inside in shallow graves before I’d let anyone force a decision like this on one of mine.”
The woman was, in her own way, as good at guilt-tripping as Lillian was.
“I’m sorry,” I said. Two Arrows felt different than the town I’d grown up in, but I was betting the unspoken code of honor was the same. If you insulted someone, you apologized, unless you wanted them tomakeyou apologize.
“Seems to me,” I continued, “that all of us can get what we want here. You can get your money—Beth’s money,” I corrected myself, “from Greer. Beth can give her baby to people—including a big sister with not a lot of common sense but an absolutely oversize heart—who will love the tar out of him, and we can all make Greer tell Sadie-Grace’s dad the truth.”
“What kind of man could find out his wife had faked an entire pregnancy and just proceed on with an adoption?” one of the women asked.
“The thing about my daddy,” Sadie-Grace said, “is that he really loves beetles.”
Everyone stared at her, expressions ranging from puzzled to concerned.
“And,” Sadie-Grace continued emphatically, “hehatesdating.”
“You can do it, honey.” Greer’s voice floated out to us. “I’m here with you. I’m right here.”
“Greer isn’t all bad,” Sadie-Grace went on optimistically. “She just needs help being good.”
My grandmother’s twin shifted her attention back to me. “She take after her daddy?” she asked, jerking her head toward Sadie-Grace.
A little bit clueless, a lot anxious, with a heart the size of Texas?I thought.
Out loud, I said, “Yes.”
That was the absolutely batty thing about this—therewasa chance that if Greer told Charles Waters the truth, he would just stare at her for a minute and scratch his head and then start talking about insects.
“Fine, then,” the woman across from me said. “The girl calls her daddy—or has that piece of work inside do it—to tell him the full story, and we do this all legal-like, so long as you three can agree not to say a word about any money that might change hands on the side.”
What did it say about me that I didn’t hesitate to agree with something like that?
In the end, I only had one question for this gray-haired, sun-worn, life-hardened mirror of my grandmother.
“What’s your name?” I asked her right before we left.
“Ellen,” she replied, and then the set of her features softened, just for a second. “Lil used to call me Ellie.”
he has to know the drugs are wearing off, Sadie-Grace. You keep saying that she wouldn’t really hurt us, but you don’t know that. This whole situation isinsane.You have to get out of this hole. Step on me if you have to. Just get out—and run.”
t’s not just that Audie’s thecutestbaby to ever baby,” Sadie-Grace said on the other end of the phone line. “It’s that he’s objectively a better person than other two-week-olds.”
This was my fourth phone call today detailing the virtues of Audubon Charles Richard Waters, whose legal adoption was currently in process—with Sadie-Grace’s veryforgivingfather’s full consent.
“Also,” Sadie-Grace continued rapturously, “he’s getting really good at pooping.”
That was where I drew the line. “I’ll see you tonight.” I hung up and turned my attention to a bigger problem. As much as I would have preferred being at Nick’s—withNick—I had other things on my plate.
Things I found myself wanting to talk to him about.We’ll talk tonight,I promised myself.I’ll see him tonight. But for now…
Lily was lying on one of the twin beds in the turret room, dressed in lake-formal clothing and listening to music on her phone. With her blond hair spread out on the pillow and her dark eyes focused on the ceiling, she looked like a doll, perfectly styled and perfectly still.
She’s not okay,Nick had told me when we’d spoken hours earlier and the topic of Lily had come up.But she will be someday. Lily’s tougher than anyone gives her credit for.
I wanted to believe that, believe him.
