Three Lovers on the Grift - 28

Silas nodded. "We figured this might be the first time you've ever had to answer the question of what you do and were winging it. So Lyman, being inquisitive, did some research, something he's very good at."

"Hopefully you didn't find out anything about us," Vaughn replied calmly.

"I did, and I didn't. What I know is all conjecture, but since you haven't thrown us out or just denied that what we heard had anything to do with anything, I'm fairly certain I'm right about you all."

Vaughn crossed his arms over his chest, resting one hip on the corner of his desk. "Mind telling me exactly what you know, or think you know?"

"And how you got what information you think you have," Page added.

"And why you decided to break in here and face us down," Nigel put in, finally sitting again.

"As I said, what I put together is all conjecture." Lyman held up his hand, bending down one finger. "First off, there are stories about a team of confidence people—one female, two male—who strike hard and fast then vanish. Secondly, their preferred game involves the woman claiming to have had sexual relations with the mark and then threatening to tell his wife if he doesn't pay her off. Sometimes there's also a man involved, acting as her incensed husband if the mark needs a bit of a threat to make him pay her off."

"A standard grift," Nigel said with a smile. "It's almost been done to death. Why think that they are us?"

"Two men and a woman who are more than cagey about how they support themselves tweaked my interest. So, Silas being the expert at such things, took advantage of a call of nature to access your computer."

"Like hell!" Vaughn exclaimed. "It's so well protected—"

"Against normal invasion, yes," Silas put in. "I'm not normal. I have to know what I'm doing for our little side business. You're smart enough not to keep anything incriminating on it, but you don't eradicate your searches. Or"—he smiled—"your picture manipulations. By the way, you're damned good at that. I'm envious."

"Thanks, I think," Vaughn said with a bit of a smile. "Guess I've got some cleaning up to do."

"This all still begs the question of why you're letting us know what you think you've found out about us, as well as admitting to what your 'side business' is," Page said quietly.

"That's my fault," Silas replied. "I like the three of you, but more, I love the twins." He grinned as Marcia seemed to smile at him. "I really don't want to see you all end up in jail, and from what Lyman found out today you could be on your way there if you try pulling off this scam."

"Shit! Why, how?" Nigel spat out.

Lyman fielded that one. "Your shenanigans out west caught the eye of a particularly dedicated police detective who happens to be a good friend of one of your marks." He looked pointedly at Page. "The one that you claimed made you pregnant."

She chuckled. "That could be one of three actually. It was a good scam while it lasted."

"Well, this particular one reported what happened to his friend. Not soon enough to set up a sting, which was lucky for the three of you."