Page 90 of The Love Scam
“We made you guys as safe as we could by putting you together,” Delaney added. “But one thing I don’t get—Lillith?”
The girl broke off the “I’ve got no use for a pony, but I would like the latest MacBook Air, please” discussion with Mrs. Tarbell. “Yes?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had the flash drive? Why wait until we were literally under the gun?”
“That’s exactly what I waited for. Mama told me it was my spade, and to hold it for six months or until our backs were to the wall, whichever came first.” At their uncomprehending looks, the little girl elaborated. “Remember, Mama didn’t actually act on the information she hacked. She figured if that awful Mr. Kovac didn’t intrude in our lives within six months, he never would. But if hedidintrude, and things got bad, then I was supposed to give it toun adulto fidato.”
“Your spade?” Delaney glanced at Ellen, who shrugged.
Rake laughed. “Your ace.”
“Oh. Yes, my ace.” Lillith shrugged. “I don’t play cards.”
“But I’ve been with you the whole time. Ever since I found you at the neighbor’s after I got your mom’s letter.”
“Delaney, I barely knew you. And mymotherhad justdied.I’m smart, but I don’t get it right every time.”
“Youdidn’t do anything wrong, darling,” the nuclear option said, glaring at literally everyone in the restaurant except Lillith.
“Abort,” Rake murmured to Delaney. “For the love of God,abort.”
Delaney surrendered. “Fine. Yes. Excellent point, Lillith. It’s not your fault that things got weird in a hurry.” She shook her head and laughed. “It wasn’t just Murphy’s law, it was Murphy’s ongoing disaster. First you gave me the slip in Lake Como—”
“I’m still vague on how I got to Venice.”
“—and then when I picked up your trail again, you jumped in the canal!”
“Fell, dammit! Do I have to write it on my forehead?”
“I mean—who could plan for that? Then once you were fished out, I clocked the new tail, so I had to leave Lillith and hope you guys would make it to the hotel while I played rodeo clown with the B team.”
“Nerve-racking?” Mrs. Tarbell guessed.
“Just a smidge. I was beyond relieved when you guys showed up at the Best Western.”
“You may well be the only person ever to be relieved to show up at a Best Western, dear.”
Delaney quirked an eyebrow at Mrs. Tarbell. “So when I think we’ve finally got stuff under control and I’m about to bring the hammer down on Kovac—”
“Under the guise of stuffing Easter baskets. Darling, youhavehad a week.”
“—Rake gets sick! Like, violently, flat-on-your-back, should-we-call-an-ambulance sick. Again: Who could plan for these variables? Frankly, I’m astonished that we’re all here to talk about it.”
“And don’t forget the Donna variable,” Ellen pointed out quietly. “She had everything ready to go: false IDs, paperwork, a reasonably good exit strategy, proof if Kovac got cute… only she died before she could do much more than send Delaney a letter. No one could have predicted that, either.”
“I’m terribly sorry about your friend. And your mother, Lillith. Perhaps the silver lining is that the accident set all of this in motion. And brought you to us,” Mrs. Tarbell added, hugging Lillith. “And… maybe accomplished something else.”
“Nonna, it’s a lot more subtle if you say something like that anddon’twink.”
“Oh, subtle.” Mrs. Tarbell waved it away. “Tosh.”
“Thisisthe woman who clipped your wings and emptied your bank accounts,” Delaney teased. “And your brother’s. Overnight. After having you followed. Why were you expecting subtle, again?”
“Point. So you got Donna’s letter, found Lillith, and then found my grandmother?”
“Yes. And she agreed to help finance the Big Pipe Dream—conditionally, of course. But since there was a kid in play, she wanted to give you the monetary equivalent of a brisk shake first.”
“Blake, too, since Lillith’s presence would permanently impact his life as well.”
