I'm surprised at how easy it is to find Mr. Bart and Mrs. Wiona Yesterly. They appear to be at the same address that they lived at when their twins were taken away. An hour goes by and Garth bumps me with his shoulder. "Look at this. This medical journal from 16 years ago says that Herrington Hospital has seen an increase in twins of deformity this year. The hospital has delivered one set of deformed female twins and two sets of deformed male twins this year which is triple what they would normally expect."
I shake my head. "It's probably just luck. There are no toxins deforming people out here."
Garth nods. "They intended to study the three families in depth to find out what they have in common."
"Do they give any names?"
"No, but they do refer to family A, S, and Y."
Jefrey jumps into our conversation. "A, S, and Y, you say? I read an article yesterday about deformed twin Swenson girls from 14 years ago being taken to the complex. Swenson, S, and Yesterly, Y. The other twin boys must be from a family that starts with A."
Ernestine overhears us from the couch and joins in. "If you know their name starts with an A, just look up the government complex records from that year. They don't give out much information, but if you know where to look there is a list of affected last names in alphabetical order."
I immediately pull the complex website up. Ernestine directs me through several menus to find the affected families list. At the top of the list I find three last names that start with A. "So the other twin boy parents must be the Adams, the Aichers, or the Addlesons."
"It's not the Addlesons. I remember them vaguely from that day. They were uncooperative like me. They had a girl though," Ernestine says, her deep alto voice going deeper with repressed feelings.
"So it's the Adams or the Aichers."
"Give me your computer, Garth." Ernestine kicks Garth out of his chair. "I'll just look both of them up, and the Yesterlys too." Ernestine is a computer whiz when she knows the last names of whom she's looking for. She writes down the Adams', Aichers', and Yesterlys' addresses on a piece of paper, grabs a blonde, curly wig and a backpack, and leaves without a word.
Jefrey swivels around to face Garth, Rocky, and me. "Should we have tried to stop her?"
Rocky shakes his head. "I don't think it would do any good. She's sick of being cooped up in here. She likes to be outside snooping around."
I raise my eyebrows. "I doubt my Mom will like it." Jefrey nods in agreement.
Rocky shrugs. "I know. I don't think any of us could stop her though, so, oh well. Let's finish our chess game, Garth."
They move back to the coffee table, Garth squeezing my shoulder as he passes me. Jefrey turns to me. I can tell he wants to say something, but he isn't sure that I'll like it. He can't help himself. "Ernestine takes too many unnecessary risks. We should have stopped her. She should talk to Florence before taking off like that."
I lean back in my chair and yawn. "Oh well. Ernestine does what she feels is right, and what she feels is right has done nothing but help me. You should trust her."
"Trusting people is a risky business, Elira."
"That's true." This is the longest conversation I've had with Jefrey in quite a while. I usually lose my patience and leave.
"What did you think of your brothers a few weeks ago? I haven't had the chance to ask you."
"Yeah. They are—interesting."
"They are probably talking to their friends about your escape right now."
I shake my head. "I doubt it. My mom made them promise not to. Yawn. I'm taking a quick nap before dinner. See you later."
"But we could count money together..."
"Nope. See you at dinner." I smile at Garth as I walk back to my room. Scott takes my seat at the computer as I leave.
•
Avra shakes me violently to wake me up. "Elira! Scott thinks he's found his parents!"
"That's great. I'll celebrate with you guys after my nap."
"Of course you're not excited. You have your parents back already." Avra turns away from me and huffs. "I'll tell you about it later."
I feel like a jerk. "No, Avra. Come back. I'm sorry. It is exciting news. We've been working so hard for this. Tell me about it." I sit up and wipe the sleep from my eyes with a smile.
"Scott found an article with first and last names. Come see!"
I groan internally and push myself out of bed. I make the bed quickly so it's not obvious that someone is staying in here. I force a smile for Avra and follow her to the great room.
Scott is usually so quiet, but he whoops with delight as we approach him. He beckons us to hurry over to the computer. "This article says that Lola and Mick Taylor, the parents of ‘Undesirable Scott Taylor' were told they would be fined $5000 dollars if they sent another letter of protest to the government complex committee." Scott looks at us all expectantly. "Don't you see? They protested. They might want me back!"
I smile and pat Scott on the back. "That's great, Scott!"
Mother leans over Scott's back to read the article for herself. "Lola and Mick Taylor. If or when Ernestine gets back, we'll have her investigate them. Did you find an address for them, Scott?"
"Yes. Of course I did. It's right here." Scott waves a lined piece of paper in the air with triumph.
Mom takes the paper and looks at it. "Huh. That's not far from here. I think this may be one of the houses Ernestine watched the other day. She could walk there in ten minutes. Well, if she gets back here safely, anyway." Mother isn't happy Ernestine left without consulting her again.
My stomach growls. "I'm hungry. Is it dinnertime yet, Mom?"
Mother looks at the clock. "Oh, yes. Your chicken cordon bleus have been getting cold for 20 minutes. Will you help me bring the food down, Elira?"
"Yes."
Garth follows us to the stairs. "I'll help too." He smiles as he bumps my shoulder with his.
We walk behind my mother side by side up the stairs to the kitchen. I've never been in the main kitchen before. I stop in my tracks as I enter the big, beautiful room. Mother's short, plump cook has her back to us as she chops some greens on a cutting board.
I grab my mom's arm and whisper, "Mother, she shouldn't see us."
"She knows that my ‘helpers' have secrets, Elira."
The cook turns around just then and I gasp as I see that half of the woman's face is covered in lumpy scars. "How can this be?" I ask.
Mother clears her throat. "Elira, I would like you to meet our cook, Freda. She used to work at the number one rated restaurant in the city, but after a grease fire burned her severely, she lost her job. Freda has worked for me ever since."
I look at Freda cautiously. "Do you know who I am?"
Freda looks at me and Garth and nods. "Yes. Everyone knows who you are."
"You've seen us on the news?"
"Yes."
"Will you turn us in?"
"No. I don't persecute people based on their appearance."
I take a few steps toward Freda and offer her my hand the way Ernestine taught us. "It's nice to meet you. Did they fire you because you couldn't work while you healed, or because you are scarred?"
Freda sets her knife down and wipes her lettuce juice-covered hand on her apron so she can take my hand. "I was told I could have my job back after I was released from the hospital, but as soon as my boss saw my face, he said his business could not risk losing its high-class reputation because of my appearance."
"That is ridiculous."
"I agree. I was rarely seen by customers in the kitchen. It's okay though. I love working here. The pace is slower, and your parents are the best people I have ever known."
Mother pats Freda on the back. "I read Freda's story in a newspaper and immedia
tely wrote to her to offer her a job here."
I look at my mother and feel my heart swell with pride. "My best friend, Avra, loves to cook. Will you teach her a few things?"
Freda's face breaks into a smile. "I would love to. I haven't had a student who can tolerate my presence since my accident. It would be nice to cook with someone again."
Garth steps forward. "We have eaten so well since we arrived here. Thank you for feeding us. What can I do to help?"
Freda has Garth and me sprinkle herbs on the chicken and croutons on the salad. Every time our hands bump into each other, a surge of heat goes up my arm. I feel Garth's eyes on me more than once. Freda smiles as she watches us. We laugh and tease each other as we take the food down to the basement.
Dinner tastes amazing to my empty stomach. I have a new appreciation for how such wonderful food finds its way to my plate. I just wish Ernestine was here to enjoy it with us. My mother is getting worried again. I can tell.
"Rocky, dear, would you mind flipping the lights on behind you? I can barely see my plate anymore," my mother says with a scowl. Rocky flips the light on.
Knock, knock. We all run to the bookshelf with the hidden door behind it. When the door is shut, I hear the outside door burst open. "Ernestine Moore, you can't keep running off without a word like that."
"I told the kids where I was going. Didn't they tell you?"
"Yes. They said you were going to look for the twins' potential parents, but I need to be in on your plans. If something goes wrong, I'll be the one left to pick up the pieces."
"I would have been back before dark, but there are still a lot of peace officers patrolling the streets. I had to move slowly."
"Let's let the kids out."
Click. Ernestine's face is a welcome sight, but it doesn't give us any hints. Garth speaks first, "How many houses did you watch tonight?"
"Two. The Yesterlys and the Adams. I'll tell you all about it while I eat my dinner."
Ernestine tells us between bites of chicken cordon bleu and green salad that the Adams are definitely not the twins' parents. "They don't look anything like you two. Different races even." She only saw a dark-haired Mrs. Yesterly at the Yesterly house. "There is some potential for shared genes there, but I'm not sure at this point."
Scott can't hold his news back any longer. "I found my parents, Ernestine! Lola and Mick Taylor. They were almost fined for sending protest letters. They might want me back!"
"Excellent! I will check them out tomorrow morning on the way to the Aichers."
"Thank you for telling me now, not after, Ernestine," Mother says dryly.
Ernestine smiles at my mother in her toothy way. "No problem."
My friends are hard to wind down before bed. It's been an exciting day. I just hope the good news continues in the morning.
Chapter 10
"Checkmate." I don't think Garth can concentrate on our chess game very well with Ernestine outside investigating his potential parents. She's been gone for the last five hours.
"Oh, you win. Good job, Elira."
"Garth, are you okay?"
"Yeah. Well—I can't stop thinking about my parents. Do you think they'll like me?"
What a silly question. "Yes, I do. You are the easiest person in the world to like."
"I don't agree with that," Jefrey grumbles under his breath.
Knock, knock. Mother stops us from running. "Just wait. I'll peek through the blinds, and if it's Ernestine, you don't have to hide." Mother uses two fingers to peek through the blinds. Garth looks like he's going to fall on his face, he's leaning forward so far. "It's her. You're safe."
We all breathe a sigh of relief as Ernestine comes through the door. "Did you save any lunch for me, Florence?"
"Yes. There is a sandwich in the fridge."
Ernestine sits down at the table with her sandwich and starts chowing down on it.
Garth and Jefrey wrestle each other to sit next to her. "So?" Garth asks.
Ernestine swallows down a bite. "The Taylors are definitely Scott's parents." Scott jumps up and pumps his fist with excitement. "I'm about 95% sure that the Yesterlys are your parents." Garth breathes a sigh of relief and relaxes both of his clenched fists.
"When are we going to talk to them?" Jefrey asks hesitantly.
"I don't have a great feeling about them yet, Jefrey. There's a weird aura hovering over that house. We'll approach Scott's parents first, I think."
Garth and Jefrey look at each other uncertainly. "Okay," Garth says.
"I am not thrilled about how much surveillance each house is getting still. Let's give it another week and then we'll approach Scott's parents."
•
Ernestine is disguised as a man today. It makes me laugh every time I look at her. She thinks the neighbors might be getting suspicious of her visits to the Taylors' neighborhood, so she changed her look. Rocky is sick. He has been in bed or in the bathroom all morning long. He won't be going with us. Ernestine says I can only go with the ‘approach group' if I can walk without my bulky boot. I take that thing off so fast, Garth smiles at my eagerness. I have had very little time outside, and more painfully, very little time alone with Garth. Between my mother and Jefrey, we always seem to have a chaperone. I really want him to hold my hand again. I'm sure we can on the walk to Scott's parents' house. Avra probably wants to hold Scott's hand on the walk today, too. Unfortunately, she is having a bad health day. Her heart is beating irregularly, and she keeps having to sit down. Ernestine says she can't come.
I fill with compassion as I watch Avra hug Scott goodbye. "Avra, maybe you could sit on a chair in the kitchen and have a cooking lesson with Freda after your nap today," I say encouragingly. She nods sadly, squeezes Scott's hand, then goes to our room and cries. I wish I could do something more for her, but she doesn't have the strength today—and I really want to go outside.
I coat my raccoon eye with flesh colored makeup and put my sunglasses on. I try to walk without a limp as we leave the house. Mother reaches out and takes my arm. "Are you sure your toes can keep up, Elira?"
I know that my toes will still slow me down, but I want to go outside so much. "My toes feel great, Mother. Please let me go."
She sees the longing in my eyes and sets her concerns aside. "Don't let Ernestine do anything risky. Remember the telephone number we had you memorize. Call me if you get separated, or if anything goes wrong."
"Okay. I will."
"Be careful, Elira," Mother calls as I shut the door behind me. The rush of the wind in my hair invigorates me. The air out here is positively delicious to inhale. How have I breathed stale indoor air my whole life? I feel Garth's hand brush up against mine. Yay, he waited for me! He switches sides with me so his normal hand is next to mine. I look over at him in his fake ear and sideburns, and a smile erupts on my face as he slides his fingers in between mine. I don't care about my aching toes; I could walk all day now. As we walk down the sidewalk, the headline of a discarded newspaper grabs my eyes. "$100,000 Reward for the Capture of the Complex Escapees." I see Jefrey looking at the paper a little longer than he should as we walk by. We've never seen a bill that is more than $50. It's hard to imagine what $100,000 in bills would look like.
Ernestine barks out, "Jefrey, pick that paper up and throw it away. Florence hates litter around her house, and I hate the message that paper portrays. People are more likely to turn you in now that there is a reward." Scott is already nervous about meeting his parents, but now I can see his hands visibly shaking. Ernestine pats Scott on the back. "Don't be nervous, though. I need you to look like walking down the street is the most natural thing ever to you." Jefrey picks up the paper but he folds it up and sticks it in his jacket pocket.
Ernestine takes one last look behind us as we walk on. "There's
no peace officer watching the house," she says with astonishment.
I love looking at the colorful buildings, but I think Garth likes looking at the different kinds of cars parked on the street more. He points out a fancy blue car with no top on it as we walk. The man who owns it is washing or maybe just polishing it. He looks up and waves at us as he sees Garth admiring it. "I like your car," Garth calls out.
"If you like it, you'll be interested to know I'm putting it up for sale after I'm done detailing it."
Jefrey stops walking and calls out, "How much is it?"
"$25,000."
Garth whistles. "That's more than I have, but it's beautiful. Good luck selling it."
"Thanks, kid. Have a good day."
Ernestine claps Garth and Jefrey on the shoulders as we walk on. "Good job, boys. That was a very normal conversation. I don't think he knew you were complex escapees at all."
The twins smile at each other, which is nice to see. Ernestine observes the house of Scott's parents as we approach it a few minutes later. "There are no peace officers watching the house here either. How strange," Ernestine mutters under her breath. Butterflies fill my stomach as we pause at their white, wooden front gate. Ernestine lets out a long breath. "Scott, are you ready for this?" He is twisting his hands together nervously as he nods. "We cannot tell them where we are staying. If they seem like they might turn us in, we will have to run for it. Promise me you'll do exactly what I say if something goes wrong."
"Okay, I promise," Scott says and the rest of us echo him.
His fumbling hands open the gate and he walks through it. We follow closely behind him. He leads us to the front door of a blue, squarish house with white shutters. He pauses for a moment, then knocks on the door. A man who looks like an older version of Scott opens the door. He looks at Scott through the screen door for a minute. Then he looks at the rest of us. Scott pulls off his false nose and says, "Hello, Father. It's me, Scott."
The Complex Law: Young Adult Dystopian Page-Turner (The Complex Trilogy Book 2) Page 7
