Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

Mrs. Westington said nothing. She offered them breakfast, but all they wanted, really demanded, was a business meeting with her, as they put it.

"Since we can't use the office because the lovers are there, let's go into the living room. Ma," Rhona said.

I was in the office by now, too. In an attempt to keep myself from thinking about it all. I was reviewing some of the material Tyler had given me for the equivalency exam. He looked up from his work with Echo when we heard Rhona's derogatory remarks and demands.

"I knew this was going to be far more difficult now," he said. The expression on his face convinced me he somehow blamed me.

"Maybe we should go in there. too," I suggested. "We can't let her use us to take advantage of Mrs. Westington."

"It's not our business," he replied. "You're just a guest here and I'm just the tutor. If you or I go in there, we'll only make it worse."

"But last night we said we'd help her and..."

"I told you to forget last night." He turned back to his work with Echo, who didn't know anything unpleasant was happening.

I slammed my book closed and got up. "You're so afraid your mother is going to find out that you don't want to do the right things anymore?"

"Stop it. April," he said without raising his eyes from the page.

"Maybe I will forget last night," I said, "but not for the reasons you have."

I spun around and left the office. I started down the hallway toward the living room and stopped. Was Tyler right? Would I make things worse for Mrs. Westiington if I went in there? I wondered,

Undecided, I stood in the hallway and listened.

"We found the perfect property for our business purposes, Ma, and we need one hundred thousand dollars immediately."

"One hundred thousand dollars? Are you absolutely crazy?"

"No. We can turn that into four hundred thousand in six months, can't we, Skeeter."

"No problem," he said.

"Before I'd invest in anything like this with that kind of money. I'd have my business consultant review it completely. What paperwork do you have?"

"He won't know about this sort of thing," Rhona said.

"Oh, and you would? Please. Rhona, don't act like a child now. Adults don't make such impulsive foolish decisions."

"I'm a child? I make impulsive foolish decisions? Look at you taking in runaways and providing tutors and clothes and who knows what. You have some freeloader in our house, an orphan girl, and it's all right to give her money but deny me? Your own flesh and blood? We need this money, Ma, and we need it now."

"I told you. If you have something to show my business consultant, produce it and we'll see what he thinks."

"Oh, that's ridiculous. I'm not going through all that. I have a right to the money anyway, going to see an attorney today. There'll be courts and judges and all sorts of horrors. You can avoid all this trouble for everyone if you just write the check."

"I'll do no such thing and I won't let my own daughter blackmail me," Mrs. Westington said, I could hear the shrill tone in her voice and the fatigue as well. She needs help. She'll die under such pressure. I thought. Where was Trevor? How could I just stand out there and listen?

I lurched forward and stepped into the living room. Rhona and Skeeter looked up at me.

"Did you want me to help you with lunch today. Mrs. Westington?"

"Did you want me to help you with lunch today. Mrs. Westington?" Rhona mimicked. Then she pointed her right forefinger at me like the barrel of a pistol. "I'm going to report you to the police. You probably ran away from some institution or something and you're setting up a whorehouse in a motor home on our property."

"Rhona!" Mrs. Westington cried.

"Well, she is. Ask her to her face and bring that Chinese kid in here. Let them deny screwing in that trailer. Go on."

"That's enough," Mrs. Westinton said, and stood up sharply and with more energy and strength than I had seen. "I won't have such disgusting things said in my house and especially not in my presence. If you can't behave like a decent adult, a lady, then leave."