Page 19 of Smuggler’s Cove (Twin Lights #1)

“But . . .” Madison was still unclear. “It was my father, not me, my brother, nor my mother.”

“You and your brother are going to be okay.”

“But Mom?” Madison’s heart sank.

“It is going to take a lot of convincing that your mother knew nothing about your father’s business.”

“But she didn’t.” Madison’s voice got louder. “He was barely around.”

“Yes, but she was living under the circumstances of your father’s income.”

“Is she going to be arrested, too?” Madison thought she might faint.

“Not likely. But she will be asked to give a deposition.”

“When?” Madison started to doodle on the pad next to the phone.

“We don’t know that yet.”

“Do you know where she is?” Madison asked.

“I can’t say.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Madison had an excellent grasp of semantics.

“The less you know, the better. For now.” Sidney cleared his throat. “I want to hire private security for you and Lincoln.”

“Why?” Madison did not think her life was threatened until Sidney explained.

“Your father hurt a lot of people. People are angry. If they can’t take it out on him, they may come after you and Lincoln.”

Madison dropped the phone and vomited into the trash can. The thought of revenge had not occurred to her. She had been engaged in anticipating the breaking news and her next move. But this? This was beyond disturbing.

She could hear Sidney’s voice coming through the phone that landed on the floor. “Madison? Are you alright?”

She wretched again and mumbled, “Yeah. Give me a minute.” She went into the bathroom, rinsed her mouth, and wiped her face. “I’m coming, Sidney. Hang on,” she called toward the place where her phone was lying on the rug. She held the damp washcloth to her face.

“Madison?”

“Yes, Sidney. I am here.” She fumbled with the phone and placed it next to her ear. “What do we do now?”

“I recommend you stay with your grandparents for a while. I don’t think anyone will track you to Connecticut.”

“But what about school?” Madison asked.

“You may have to put your studies on hold. Temporarily.”

“But Sidney, Lincoln just started his freshman year. I have huge projects coming up. I am supposed to assist at the Met Gala.”

“I’m sorry, Madison. But your safety is of the utmost importance. Best you and your brother stay under the radar.”

Madison’s head was reeling. “For how long?”

“A couple of weeks at the least.” Sidney paused. “I know this is an extremely difficult situation to navigate, especially coming out of left field. But it is imperative you take the necessary precautions. Both of you.”

“Sidney? Can I call you right back? I want to get Lincoln so we can talk this through together.”

“Certainly.”

“Give me five minutes.”

Madison peeked through the fish-eye lens of the door. The hall was empty. She flipped the swing bolt to keep the door ajar and knocked on her brother’s door. He opened it immediately. “What’s up?”

“You have to come to my room. We need to talk to Sidney.”

“Sure.” He grabbed his room key. “You okay? You smell like puke.”

“Very observant.” Madison pushed her door open and locked it after they entered.

“Are you alright?” Lincoln saw how pale his fair-skinned sister looked.

“Just a reaction to Sidney.” She shoved the trash can into the bathroom and shut the door. “I’ll deal with that later.”

“I’ll call housekeeping.” Lincoln dialed the number using the house phone. “Good afternoon. My sister took ill and had a mishap in the trash can. If you don’t mind, I am going to leave it in the hallway covered with a towel.” He paused. “Yes, fresh towels would be appreciated. Thank you.”

Madison hit the speaker button on her cell. “Sidney. I have Lincoln here.”

“Lincoln. How are you holding up?” The voice of Sidney Rothberg floated toward him.

“I’m alright. Baffled, but alright.”

“I told your sister that you should both be aware that there may be some people who seek revenge.”

Lincoln shot Madison an inquisitive look. She nodded for him to listen.

“Revenge?” Lincoln asked with an even tone.

“As I explained to Madison, your father made a lot of enemies, and there may be some people who want to get even with him.”

“By doing something to us?” Lincoln asked.

“It is possible. While there haven’t been any overt threats, we need to take precautions. I suggested to Madison that you suspend your studies for the time being.”

The cool, calm Lincoln balked. “Sidney, I just started. Where am I supposed to go? I can’t transfer now.”

Sidney sighed. “I understand. But please give it some thought. Baruch? No one will think about looking for you at a city college, even though it has an outstanding business program. I know some of the senior faculty members. I am certain they can offer assistance.”

Lincoln looked at his sister. “What about Madison?”

“She has a higher profile than you do.”

“Meaning?” Lincoln asked.

“Meaning, if the press is going to tail anyone, it will be her. She has garnered some publicity in the fashion pages.”

Lincoln could not argue. Madison had been featured in Women’s Wear Daily during their spring round-up of promising students. She was getting attention in the use of mixed media in patterns and textiles.

“I suggested you spend some time at your grandparents’.”

“Yes, we’re planning on heading up there Friday afternoon.”

“That’s four days from now. News will be breaking in less than an hour.”

“Are you suggesting we leave tomorrow?” Madison chimed in. “I was going to speak to the dean. Can’t they stop people from entering the school property?”

“They can try, given it’s a small campus.” Sidney paused for a moment. “How about this, we hire private security for the remainder of the week. That should give both of you enough time to sort out your classes. Once you get to your grandparents’ house, we should have a clearer picture.”

Madison shook her head. For the first time in her life, she was stupefied. “I cannot believe this is happening.” She paused. “Sidney? You are the family estate lawyer. Who is going to be our father’s criminal attorney?”

“There have been a few names bandied about. Unfortunately, his assets are frozen. He has also been remanded due to being a flight risk.”

Madison sat up straight. “What about tuition? Lincoln and I have scholarships. They cannot be transferred.”

“Your mother had the good sense to put money aside in a trust for your education. She also had the good sense to have her own bank account. I do not know her exact financial situation, but she will be okay for a while.” He waited for the siblings to absorb this new information.

Madison was the first to speak. “So, let us go down the list. You are going to hire private security for us for the remainder of the week.”

“Correct.”

“And then?” Madison asked.

“And then you’ll discuss your housing situation with your grandparents.”

“I can move in with Tyler. He’s still looking for a roommate, and he lives near Tribeca.”

“That would be convenient if you transfer to Baruch,” Sidney offered.

“It’s not exactly upstate from Pace,” Lincoln said sardonically.

“You finish your first year at Pace and then transfer to Baruch. Even with the scholarship at Pace, there are some heavy expenses. At least with Baruch, you will use less trust money, which will enable you to do graduate work if you wish.”

The words graduate work rang in Lincoln’s ears. That was something he planned to do. He hadn’t discussed it with anyone yet.

“What about me?” Madison asked.

“Madison, I am a little more concerned about you than Lincoln. He has a lower profile, and it will be easy for him to blend into the neighborhood near Baruch.”

“What happens to the scholarship money at Pace?” Lincoln asked.

“The balance will revert to the school. Think of it as giving another student an opportunity.”

Lincoln could not argue with that.

“Hello? Remember me?” Madison was dreading the answer.

“Rhode Island School of Design?” Sidney winced while making his suggestion. It was a private school and much pricier.

Madison could not argue with the ranking of RISD.

It is considered one of the finest in the country.

But that meant uprooting herself. Reestablishing herself.

She had put so much time and effort into her undergraduate work so far.

But she could bring her projects with her.

She would be the new kid on the block, but she was also prepared.

At least she did not have to worry about Gerard, her ex-boyfriend.

It would be good to be far away from him, and not have to plan her social schedule around when he might be hanging out at their usual haunts.

Madison was ticking off the pluses and negatives.

Olivia was attending school in Boston. She would have a friend an hour’s train ride away.

Madison was making a valiant attempt to put a positive spin on this very ugly, overwhelming situation.

What mattered was her artistic creativity.

She could bring that with her regardless of where she landed.

Lincoln looked pensive. “Let me get this straight. I go to Pace for one year and then to Baruch. Madison goes to RISD now? I live with Tyler and Madison lives with who?”

“I can stay with Nana and Pops until I get settled.” Madison was already getting her head in gear.

“Sidney, if you think you can make this transition as painless as possible, there’s really no other option, correct?” Lincoln stepped into his adult shoes.

“Correct.”

“You mentioned security,” Lincoln prompted.

“We will set you up with a private company and monitor the fallout. If we can keep your names out of the papers, there’s less chance you’ll be on other people’s radar. What kind of building does Tyler live in?”

“Doorman.”

“Are you sure he’s serious about having a roommate?” Madison interjected.