Bite Me
Page 27

Livy ignored her relatives and pulled out a chair, catty-corner from her mother, and dropped into it.
Sit down, her mother ordered her sisters.
They did as they were told, but Livys aunt Kew stopped to poke Livy in the shoulder while snarling, You were always a horrible daughter.
Touch me with that finger again, Livy warned, and Im eating it.
Kew, please, Joan pushed, and for the first time, Livy heard her mother sound very tired.
Aunt Kew stomped over to her chair and dropped into it, arms crossed over her chest, legs crossed at the knee, one foot shaking dangerously.
Yeah. Livy knew shed be hearing about this little episode until the end of time. But she really didnt care.
I want to know whats going on, Livy told her mother. And I want to know now.
Your father and I, Joan began, may have divorced when you were eighteen
You divorced when I was fifteen.
The first time.
And thats when Livy began to get a headache.
Anyway, her mother went on, we never stopped
Messing with each others heads?
Her mother paused, lips pursed, before she admitted, Its what we always did well. Long before you ever came along.
But no matter how much we argued, her mother continued, no matter how much we threw things at each other and cursed at each other . . . we still loved each other.
And were business partners.
Yes, Joan hissed. That, too. We had an agreement. No matter where we were; whom we were seeing at the time; or what jobs we might be working on, we alwaysalwaysmet on certain dates at this little hotel we loved by the Baltic Sea. Dates and a location that only we knew.
Livy frowned, wondering how only she managed to have parents who would pick the goddamn Baltic Sea for their romantic getaways.
And?
And your father didnt show up for two of our set meetings. Wed been meeting each other like this for more than ten years and hed never not shown up once, let alone twice. Even when he was dating that porn star. Even she couldnt keep him away from me. She shook her head, started to rub her eyes, but quickly remembered the amount of makeup she used on her face, so she stopped, and pulled back any tears that might threaten to ruin all that careful work.
I checked with his brothers and sister, Joan went on. Checked with the police and morgues in several countries. I did everything, but he never made contact with anyone. I spoke to Baltazar and he agreed with me.
Ma, Uncle Balt would agree with anything you asked him, because hes had the hots for his brothers woman sincethe day Dad brought you home.
Joan slapped her hand against her knee. Stop acting like I killed Damon myself!
I never said you killed him . . . you just lied to me. About my own father. And I have no idea what you did to the body thats actually in that casket.
That one was already dead and not by me. And I didnt tell you because I knew youd make a big deal about it.
And you had to make sure you got that life insurance before his girlfriend or Aunt Teddy did. Right?
And thats when they all started yelling at her. Aunts, great-aunt, mother. Standing over Livy and yelling at her in English, Mandarin, and for some unknown reason, a little bit of Italian.
All of which proved that Livy was right. Because when her family started yelling, it was usually because they were lying their collective asses off.
She must have found something, Shen said, busy on his laptop.
But what could she have found? I mean, the woman was once poisoned by a cult member whom she did really horrible things to once she woke up from a brief coma, and I can still say . . . Ive never seen her look that angry before.
Yeah. I know.
Have you found her yet? Vic asked, looking over Shens shoulder.
I think so. Yes. Here it is. She took a flight into OHare. No bags checked. She arrived this morning. She didnt rent a car, and it looks like she paid cash for the flight.
OHare? She goes into Whitlans daughters apartment, comes out, and immediately goes to Chicago? Vic stared at an equally confused Shen. Dude . . . what the fuck?
Livy had nearly made it out the front door when she heard, So what are you going to do about all this?
Livy stopped and faced her family. Her mother, aunts, and great-aunt were all staring at her, arms crossed over their chests.
What do you think Im going to do?
You cant tell your uncles.
You want me to say nothing?
What would telling the Kowalskis about this do for anyone?
They already know hes dead, one of her aunts said. What would telling them about how he died change anything or make anything better?
So we let these full-humans get away with what they did to my father?
A father, Great-Aunt Li-Li felt the intense need to remind her, that you said you were disowning.
What does that have to do with anything?
We just dont think you should upset things, Joan said, stepping closer to Livy and running her hand softly down Livys arm. Lets just leave things as they are.