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“And I got to have the hotel room in Rome all to myself,” Georgia added tartly. “Because Eloise snores.”
Eloise bristled. “I do not.”
Georgia started to argue, but Sam shot her a look and she settled, grumbling under her breath.
“I traveled a lot,” Emma said quietly. “All over the country with my mom and dad. I didn’t like it.”
Eloise immediately sobered because she, like everyone at the table, recognized the importance of Emma’s statement. “Why not, honey?”
“My dad didn’t travel to see the country. He…well, he’d borrow money, then we’d have to leave in the middle of the night because his debt would come due.”
“Where did you go to school?” Rita asked, concerned.
“I didn’t.”
Betsy tilted her head in confusion. “But you scored so well on your entry tests this morning. You said you’d been homeschooled.”
“I was. My mom taught me, but I never had an actual…what do you call it? The program at school?”
“A curriculum?” Sam offered, and Emma nodded.
“Yeah, that. I saw kids on TV going to school—you know, the reruns—but I don’t think Saved by the Bell is much like real life.” She made a face. “Next week will be my first time at a real school.”
Tiffany reached across Eloise to grip Emma’s hand. “We’ll be with you.”
Rita put her hand atop the others’. “We got your back, girl.”
Emma’s smile was wistful. “I’m not afraid, not really. I’m kind of excited. I just wish I’d been able to go before. It’ll be easier having you guys, though.”
“How did you two meet?” Eloise asked, placing her gnarled old hand atop the three teenagers’ hands.
Emma drew a breath and looked around the table. Tiffany pursed her lips, like she was trying not to let the explanation spill from her mouth. No one said a word or even breathed until Emma exhaled.
“My dad didn’t just borrow money. He stole all the time—usually jewelry—and he’d sell it for cheap, you know? He’d steal a necklace or a bracelet and hold on to it for a while, until our money ran out, and then he’d pawn it. We’d usually moved twice by then, so no one suspected him. He said the police would have forgotten about the theft by the time he pawned whatever it was. But one day he stole a diamond ring from the woman who my mother was working for. She cleaned the lady’s house. The lady’s husband caught up to us. He recognized me because I’d played with his dog while Mom cleaned. He said he was calling the cops, so my dad claimed that he’d been covering up for my stealing for years, but it was time for me to answer to the law.”
“What an asshole,” Eloise muttered.
“What did your mother do, Emma?” Kit asked.
“Nothing. She never told him no. She never took up for me, so I knew she wouldn’t that time, either.” Emma shrugged. “So I ran. We were just outside Bakersfield, so I ran to the downtown. It’s not a big city like LA or even San Diego, but I figured I could still get lost in all the people. I wanted to hitch a ride to LA, but I kept chickening out. I found a place to sleep in an alley, but it was already claimed by some other kids. They threw me out, but one of the kids took up for me.” She looked at Tiffany with a grateful smile. “The next morning Tiff and I started hitchhiking. Tails was LA and heads was San Diego. It was heads, and about a month later we ended up here.” She glanced at Betsy, then Harlan. “I didn’t do anything wrong, I swear.”
“We believe you, child,” Harlan said gruffly.
“We do,” Betsy confirmed. “You don’t have anything to fear here.”
“I’ll make some calls to the Bakersfield police tomorrow,” Kit promised. “I’ll make sure the police know to charge your father.” She propped her elbows on the table. “But I’m curious. How did he pick who he’d steal from?”
Emma shrugged again. “He’d search online for the rich people’s houses, then he’d send Mom to apply for a job there, usually as a cleaning lady. She’d get established and figure out what they had that was worth stealing and where all the cameras were. Then Dad would plan to steal it when Mom had a solid alibi—usually her second job at another rich person’s house. It worked for them for a long time. My whole life, actually. It might still be working for them. Why?”
Kit’s eyes had narrowed, her expression becoming faraway, and then she blinked and nodded once like she’d decided on something, and Sam was intrigued. “Thank you, Emma,” she said. “I’ll get this cleared up with Bakersfield PD as soon as I can. I want you to write down anything you can remember—places, dates, names your parents used. All that.”
“Okay,” Emma said tentatively.
“You won’t get her into more trouble?” Tiffany demanded.
“No,” Kit said firmly. “She won’t get into any trouble. I’ll make sure of it. Mom, do you want me to make the coffee?”
Betsy was frowning at Kit. “Yes, dear. Thank you.”
