“Rocco said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that he wouldn’t lead me astray, ever, and now was the time to go big or go home, because crypto was the way of the future, and I’d berich.”
“Your inheritance?” Edie managed to croak.
“And I maxed out my credit cards.”
“Oh, Marcy—”
“I wanted to go big or go home! He said I’d see a returnwithin a few months, and I did, I saw a big return, but then … then it started to fall, and now it’s been almost a year since it fell completely off and it’s not coming back, and it’s all gone Nana.Allof it.” Marcy started to sob again, falling against her grandmother, her snot and tears soaking her designer dress.
Edie held on to her, her mind racing. What sort of bastard would take advantage of a young woman? She felt something bubbling in her. It was rage. A good, seething rage like she hadn’t felt in fifty years, since Nils Karlsson stiffed Frances for everything she rightfully deserved.
Her torture of Linda Sampson would have to wait. Edie had someone else in her sights now. The only question was what she would do to him. And how. And when.
Five
Marjorie insisted that Frances allow Dan to drive her to the airport. Frances would have been much more comfortable in a cab, but here she was, stuffed in the back seat of a convertible (top up) next to her suitcase.
“I still think this is a bad idea,” Marjorie said for the hundredth time.
“You thought sex at your age was a bad idea because of the proliferation of STDs inFawlty Towers, and yet, here we are.”
“Carl Tate has chlamydia,” Dan announced very matter-of-factly.
“Dan!” Marjorie exclaimed.
“He says Maria Costas gave it to him.”
“Thank you for the update. We don’t need to know more,” Marjorie said. “And anyway, Franny, that’s comparing apples to oranges. I am concerned you might have complications from your concussion, not your night life. Although that is also a possibility.”
The only complication she was having was getting queasy in the back seat from Dan’s erratic driving. Could the man actually see? She was beginning to doubt it, based on the number of timesthere had been a violent swerve to avoid another vehicle. He was driving at a glacial speed, too, with the radio cranked to top volume. Some guy was talking a mile a minute about cryptocurrencies and the latest with Rocco Vitali and his company, Roc V, and a casino. Was that really a thing, this crypto business everyone was talking about? Frances didn’t understand it at all.
“There have been some legitimate concerns about how he’s handling it,”the radio personality said.
Frances had some legitimate concerns, too, like why did the radio have to be so loud? “Could we turn that down a little?” she asked. “It’s giving me a headache.”
Marjorie turned the volume down. Dan didn’t seem to notice. “Now, who are you visiting again?” she asked.
“Just an old friend. Irene.”
“Never heard of her,” Marjorie said flatly.
“You don’t know all my friends, Marge.”
“I thought I did. I’ve looked at your friend list on Facebook. I’m at the top.”
“Irene has been a friend since before Facebook existed.”
“You know who else has chlamydia,” Dan said. “Bradley Sizemore.”
Frances and Marjorie looked at Dan. He began to hum a ditty.
Marjorie said, “Does Aaron know you’re going out of state on the spur of the moment like you’re on the lam?”
“Does Aaron …” Frances sighed. “Aaron is my son, Marge. Not my father.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Yes, he knows! And before you ask,yes, he’s terribly unhappy. He really wants me in Omaha.”
