Elizabeth had waited until evening to go see her aunt at her ramshackle home in Greenwich Village. She’d had to wait until Cybil and Zelda had returned home after a day of teaching and Anna had finished her classes. Now the four of them were sitting in Cybil’s parlor, a room stuffed with as many seating options as possible to accommodate the literary salons they held every Monday evening.

“I told Elizabeth I couldn’t imagine either one of you being willing to do something like this,” Anna said, “but Jake seemed to think you’d be delighted.”

Cybil and Zelda exchanged a look that spoke volumes about Jake and how they had both indulged him far too much. They really were an odd couple. Cybil was tall and imposing, like her brother. Her thick dark hair was threaded with silver but her blue eyes sparkled with life. She dressed like a respectable college professor during the day, but at home she preferred colorful flowing robes or loose-fitting trousers. Zelda was exactly the opposite, blond and tiny and always dressed as conservatively as any mother could wish. They had been in love for over twenty-five years and happier together than any of the married couples Elizabeth knew except her and Gideon.

“Jake,” Zelda said affectionately. “I should have known this was his idea.”

“But why would he involve us?” Cybil asked, obviously annoyed.

“Because he and the Old Man can’t help,” Elizabeth said. “You know that.”

“Oh yes,” Cybil said sarcastically. “They can’t possibly offend a fellow con man, no matter how low he has sunk.”

“Or in this case, how low she has sunk,” Zelda added. “But ethically speaking, are there really degrees of evil when cheating someone out of their money?”

Cybil reached over to where Zelda sat next to her on the sofa and patted her hand. “If we’re going to consider ethics, we’ll never get anywhere with this, dear.”

Zelda sighed in defeat. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I just want to somehow remove Madame Ophelia’s influence over my mother before she bankrupts us and forces Mother to lure her friends into this woman’s web,” Anna said, sounding as desperate as she must have been feeling.

“And you say that Mrs. Vanderslice isn’t the only one this Madame Whatever is cheating?” Zelda asked.

“No. We know of one and possibly two others, but that is just by chance, because they use Gideon’s law firm and he happened to find out. I’m sure there are more, and if not, there certainly will be if she isn’t stopped,” Elizabeth said.

“But what do you hope to accomplish?” Cybil said. “You know her clients aren’t going to believe she’s a fake.”

“Driving her from the city for a start,” Elizabeth said.

“And taking back the money she has stolen,” Anna added.