Tracey rubbed her nose. “Look, I didn’t have to tell you what was going on with me.”
“No, you didn’t. So why are you now? And why were you calling me before?”
“Because I need some help.”
Erma leaned back against her chair, her leg aching more than it had in weeks. For a short moment she actually thought Traceymight have changed. That her daughter was here to reestablish their relationship, not to ask for more money.
“Just a few bucks,” Tracey continued, leaning so far against the table Erma heard the legs of the chair scrape against thewooden floor.
“The halfway house should cover your needs,” Erma said, keeping her voice as emotionless as if she were talking to a pieceof wood.
“It’s not enough.” Tracey shot up from the chair and started to pace, rubbing her stubby fingers together faster. “I havecourt fees to pay. Restitution to some people I stole checks from.”
Erma shook her head. She couldn’t handle hearing a list of her daughter’s most recent crimes. Not right now. “Tracey, didthe court order you to the halfway house?”
She nodded. “It was either that or jail. If I don’t go, then it will be jail. But if I pay off my debts and have a solid placeto live, then they might let me go free.”
Her daughter looked so forlorn that Erma almost lost her senses and got up and hugged her. But she had to be firm, just likeshe was fifteen years ago. “Then go to the halfway house. Get clean. Get a job. Then you can pay back the court fees.”
Tracey threw up her hands. “I can’t believe you’re so selfish! You’re rich and you can’t spare anything else for me, youronly daughter.”
“I gave you what you asked for!” Erma sprang up from the chair, a blast of pain shooting down her leg. She ignored it. “Igave you the money you wanted, and you promised me you would never come back for Riley. You swore you would never see heragain.”
“What?”
Erma spun around, horrified to see Riley standing there. Oh God. “Riley . . . Sweetheart.” She moved toward her granddaughter. “Let me explain—”
“She paid me off.” Tracey walked over to Riley, smiling fully for the first time, revealing several gaping holes where teethused to be. “She said she would give me the money they had set aside for my college fund, plus some of Dad’s inheritance,if I left you with her and never came back.”
“Is that true?” Riley’s eyes filled with shock as she turned to Erma.
“Yes, but there were reasons—”
“She thinks I’m a bad influence.” Tracey laughed. “And she’s right.” Then she moved closer to Riley. “But I’m getting straightnow. I need a little help. You’re an artist, right? Living in New York—that has to be expensive. I’ve never been to New York,but it sounds exciting. We could get an apartment together. Hang out. You can show your old mother the sights.” She kept smiling.“We could get to know each other again.”
Riley recoiled. “No.”
Tracey’s smile turned into an ugly straight line. “Eh, I can’t cross the state line anyway.” She turned and looked at Erma.“Are you gonna help me or not?”
Tears welled in Erma’s eyes. “No, Tracey. The only person who can help you, is you.”
She kept her hard gaze on Erma for so long, Erma thought her daughter was trying to stab her with her eyes. Before she couldstop her, Tracey turned to Riley.
“Did she ever tell you the truth?”
Riley’s eyes, so much like Tracey’s, turned to stone. “About the money? No.”
“I’m not talking about money. It was mine anyway. She owed that to me.” Tracey shot a vicious look at Erma again. “I’m talkingabout how she and Gus weren’t my biological parents.”
“What?” Riley’s expression morphed into confusion.
“That’s right. They adopted me.” She laughed, and it sounded unhinged. “I guess you’ve been lied to twice. Not a very parental thing to do, is it?” Then she turned to Erma. “If something bad happens to me, it’s your fault. You understand? It will beon your head, Mother.” She stormed out the back door.
Erma stared at the door, flinching as it slammed shut. She closed her eyes, trying to get her bearings. She was too old forthis. She had gone through it too many times. Then the reality of what just happened hit her like a stone to her chest.
“Riley, let me explain—”
“I heard enough.” Riley backed away. “You didn’t want her to see me anymore. She wanted money. You made a deal with your adopted daughter.”
“I love you, Riley. I was happy to have you here with me at long last.”
“Then why didn’t you come get me before? And why didn’t you tell the truth about Tracey?” Riley cried. “If you wanted me hereso badly, why didn’t you . . .” She gasped. “Why didn’t you save me?”
Erma started to cry. “I wanted to. More than anything. And I should have. I should have gotten you sooner. But she had thecourts on her side. I hired a lawyer, paid thousands in legal fees, only to have them tell me that you weren’t in physicaldanger, and that if I took Tracey to court, she would win. I didn’t want to put you through that.”
“You should have.” Riley’s voice turned cold. “Just because she didn’t hit me doesn’t mean I wasn’t abused.”
Her granddaughter might as well have stabbed her in the heart, her words hurt so much. “I know, sugar. I know. And I’ll livewith that for the rest of my life. But you must believe me. Tracey’s adopted, yes, but that didn’t mean your Poppy and
