How I Found You Read Free Page B

How does a chicken salad sound? Will that be enough for you?”
    “Yes, that sounds perfect. Thanks.” Come to think of it, my stomach was feeling hollow. “Can I help with anything?”
    “No,” Mary gulped down the last of her tea and took the mug to the sink, “the salad’s already made and the dining room table is set.” She toddled over to the fridge and took out a clay salad bowl, filled to the brim with leafy greens, croutons and strips of cooked chicken.
    Roger and I made our way through the kitchen and into the adjoining dining room.
    The furnishings in the dining room were all dark mahogany, even down to the dark wood floors. It was arguably the most stylish room in the house, adorned with a chandelier, high-backed dining chairs, and gold-framed patio doors. The dining table itself was equally elegant. It had been lit up with decorative lanterns and three places had been laid out, all with matching wicker placemats, white china plates and elaborate silverware.
    While Roger and I took our seats, Mary surfaced, carrying the salad bowl. She dished out three portions and placed the half-empty bowl in the centre.
    Together we sat down to eat, beginning our first family night of the summer. Just the three of us.
    “It’s really coming down out there,” Roger commented, peering over the rim of his glasses.
    Mary and I looked to the patio doors.
    “I’m glad I got my washing done nice and early,” Mary mused. She pierced her fork through a crisp lettuce leaf and popped it into her mouth.
    “I wouldn’t want to be out on a night like this,” Roger added.
    As if on cue, the melodic chime of the doorbell rang through the hallway.
    Mary looked at Roger in utter bewilderment. “Who would be calling round at this time? In this weather?”
    Roger pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “I don’t have the foggiest.” He patted his mouth with a napkin and folded it neatly on the table. “Let’s see who this is,” he muttered, excusing himself to answer the door.
    Mary and I stayed quiet, listening for the exchange that was about to take place. We heard Roger’s footsteps click along the wooden floor, and then the sound of him unhooking the front door latch.
    “Oh,” he said, clearly surprised. “Hello there. What can I do for you?”
    Mary and I frowned at one another.
    Then came the first unfamiliar voice. A male, polite and well spoken.
    “Hello, sir. My name is Caicus Valero. This is my brother, Oscar. We’re terribly sorry to call upon you at such a late hour, but we’re having some car trouble.”
    “Oh dear,” Roger replied. “What seems to be the problem?”
    Now the second voice spoke, this one smooth like dripping honey. “We can’t be certain,” he replied to Roger’s question vaguely and with a touch of disinterest. “You know cars.”
    “Oh dear. Well, you’ll never get a mechanic at this time of night…” Roger trailed off.
    “No, I’m afraid not,” agreed Caicus. “That’s why we were thinking it would be best if we stayed the night here.”
    There was a brief pause, and then Roger spoke again.
    “Absolutely. Do come in.”
    At this point, Mary and I gawped at one another.
    “Uncle Roger can’t just let strangers sleep in the house!” I spluttered.
    “No, he most certainly cannot!” Mary dropped her fork onto the table, ready to charge out and un invite the uninvited guests. But before she had even risen from her seat, in walked Roger, followed by two boys, both aged around eighteen.             
    The first boy was blonde and, although dampened by rain, his hair fell in immaculate waves that curved flawlessly across his brow. His eyes were ice blue and he wore smart beige trousers, a white shirt and a denim jacket. He flashed Mary a dazzling smile, then fleetingly glanced at me.
    “Ladies. My name is Caicus Valero.” He offered his hand to Mary. She shook it, visibly stunned.
    The second boy stepped forward. This one had raven black hair and