Page 136 of Thief of Night
“You want us to wait in the car for you?” Malhar asked Charlie.
She shook her head. “I can take a taxi back.”
“If you’re sure,” Posey said and hugged her again. The satchel bumped against Charlie’s leg and the weight of it suggested there were at least a few books inside.
After they left, she noticed Adeline coming down the stairs. Her makeup had been washed off, her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she had on travel clothes. Several staff were bringing down pieces of luggage. One of them was taking a painting from the wall.
“Time to go,” Adeline told Red. “Are you finished saying goodbye?”
“I’m staying,” he told her, casually, as though it was a small thing to say.
That brought her up short. She blinked twice. “We won’t be away forever, but for now, I need you with me.”
“Nonetheless,” he said, spreading his hands.
Charlie found herself nearly as astonished as Adeline. His words from the car outside the jail came back to her:Stop trying to save me.
“Red.” Adeline grabbed his arm, impatient. Her voice growing sharp. “We are not having this conversation now. We can talk about it in New York.”
“You’re used to giving me orders,” Red said. “So I am going to forgive you for that. But you should take your hand off me.”
Adeline clearly wasn’t sure how to take those words.
“The funny thing about an inheritance,” Red said, “is that if it’s yours, you get it.”
“But the lawyers…” Adeline had never liked spelling out her plan to get control over him, so she stopped there.
“Ah, yes,” he said. “Even a Blight, if he has a wealthy enough grandmother, or is about to inherit an enormous fortune, can convince a lawyer not to do something illegal that doesn’t even benefit him. But let’s not talk about money or paperwork.”
Salt had once given Charlie a book of fairy tales as a warning about Red. He’d earmarked one where a scholar’s shadow runs away, becomes wealthy, and ultimately forces the scholar to pose as the shadow of his shadow. Salt had hoped the story would convince her to help him stop Red, make her see the danger he posed, passing for human. But the story contained a truer truth. She suspected that even Salt had missed the real lesson—with enough money, no one cared if the rich guy was a shadow or not.
Adeline opened her mouth. “We both know—”
“Don’t,” Red interrupted her. “Don’t threaten me with what you know. Because then I will have to threaten you with what I am.”
For a long time, they just looked at one another. Then her eyes slid to Charlie, as though weighing both threats.
“I’ll miss you,” Adeline told Red, finally. “But we’ll always have Monaco.Tu seras toujours le premier que j’ai aimé.”
“Il est temps que tu me laisses partir,” he returned.
She didn’t even look in Charlie’s direction as she swept past.
Then Fiona came downstairs in soft pants, a scarf around her hair. “Addy is kindly giving me a ride back to New York. Where I hope you will come and visit me, sweet boy.”
“I will,” he promised her. “Really, I will.”
She patted his cheek. “Goodbye for now.” She turned to Charlie. “And you too.”
“So you’re okay with…” she blurted out. “You’re okay?”
Fiona smiled. “Of all people,Iunderstand how complicated families can be.” Then she headed out.
After the last of the guests departed, the caterers finished cleaning up. Then they left too.
Red twirled the house key around his finger, giving Charlie a truly wicked grin.
“So, what does it feel like to be filthy rich?” she asked, walking to where he stood.
