"We're going to give the wing to the Conte," Scipio finished, "but Ida's coming with us."
"But, why, Scip?" asked Bo, looking curious. "Is she going to take the money?"
"No," said Acey, giving him a smile, "she wants to come with us when we follow the Conte."
"So," said Hornet, sitting in a chair in the corner, "to sum this all up, you guys got caught?"
"We would have done a better job!" laughed Riccio.
"I doubt it, Riccio," muttered Prosper, shaking his head.
"Hey," said Acey, laughing, "Scipio here is quite the professional. You should have seen him pick the lock."
"That's nothing compared to..." started Scipio, trying to think. "Actually, Acey, what did you do?"
"I... erm..." she said, trying to recall. "Doesn't matter. All that matters is that we're going to meet the Conte tonight, right?"
"Right," said Mosca, nodding.
"Good," said Scipio, looking around the hotel room, at his loyal crew... and Acey.
From the look on his face, Acey could tell she had let the concern she felt for him and the Merry-Go-Round slip into either her eyes or her expression. He knew something was up.
Finally, when everyone was asleep, Scipio got Acey alone.
"What?" asked Acey, though she knew just what he wanted to talk about. She had been thinking about what she would say to him all day. She hadn't come up with much.
"You tell me," he said, curious to know what was on her mind.
"Scipio..." she started, trying to choose her words carefully. "The Merry-Go-Round... Scip, do you really want to ride it? Wh-what if you come out in your forties?"
"Then I'll be able to get away from my father," he shrugged, not quite understanding her point of view.
"But, Scip..." she begged, trying to reason with him. "What would I do without you?"
Scipio was taken aback. He hadn't considered that.
"Scipio... You have, honestly, changed my life," she said, stating it as simply as she could. "You know, I haven't felt this way about anyone else, ever. You lied to me, you hid the truth, you've been so... I don't know, but... I still feel the same way I did before I knew the truth. I'll respect your decision either way... but if you decided to do it, I'm going to miss you. So will the rest of the gang. We like you fine just the way you are. Heck, I think I love you the way you are."