The Rattler (Rattler Trilogy Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

withheld incoming call message flashed up on the
touch screen, and a jazz ringtone played throughout the car.
    “Hello?”
she said, tentatively.
    “You’ve
been following me for the past two hours, officer. When are you going to pull
me over?” replied a male voice. “Jim!” said Mary, exasperatedly, “you
frightened the life out of me! I could have had a heart attack!” Jim smiled at
his wife through the rear view mirror. “I couldn’t resist. James is asleep,
snuggled under his blanket, and I’m bored! Still, we should be there in less
than an hour. Zoe alright?”
    “Yes,
she’s asleep,” answered Mary. Jim blew her a kiss through his rear view mirror.
“Love you,” he said, tiredness creeping into his voice. “My love rebounds to you,”
Mary replied.
    8
    Zoe
woke up as her iPhone vibrated; she rubbed her eyes.
    “Not there yet?”
    “Nearly. We should be there within the
hour.”
    Zoe’s
text message was from her best friend, Vana. They had been friends since they
started at Primary School together, and now they are both at Oxford, where Zoe
is studying computer science and graphic design and Vana reading history. Zoe
started typing a reply but stopped. “Is it OK if Vana stays over tonight?”
    “Yes,
of course, you don’t need to ask. You know that,” replied Mary. Zoe grinned as
she finished her text message.

5: A long
winding road leads to home
    1
    It
was almost 6.30 pm when Mary followed her husband’s car into Wyne Tree Square;
they had been lucky to beat the rain that threatened to ruin the summer’s
evening. They’d had to stop at an M1 service station just outside London for
James who needed the loo again, but they were all grateful to stretch their
legs. Zoe took James on a shopping spree for sweets and chocolate. They also
picked up the latest video games magazines. Mary and Jim enjoyed a quiet
coffee.
    The
four hour drive had taken its toll on Mary – she looked whacked-out. “At last,
we made it,” she sighed, and parked the Range Rover on the drive outside a
large red bricked house. She looked up at the building. Number 10 Wyne Tree
Square consisted of four floors; the ground floor had a lounge and a dining
room at the front, and a kitchen, small study and bathroom at the rear of the
house. The first floor had four bedrooms and a bathroom, and the second floor
had a further three bedrooms and a bathroom. There was an attic on the top
floor, while a basement ran half the length of the ground floor.
    Because
the house had been empty, the builder had been able to refit the kitchen and
install new appliances, as well as sand, stain and varnish the floors. The rest
of the house needed repainting, and Jim planned to start on one of the guest
bedrooms the next day in readiness for Aunt Sally’s arrival on Sunday.
    The
removal trucks’ doors were wide open, and the men were busily taking box after
box into the empty house. They’d been greeted by Jim’s builder friend two hours
before. Each box had been marked with its desired destination, and all the new
owners needed to do was to un-pack the contents. The large
furniture had been placed in the relevant rooms. Zoe glanced at Mary, with a
smile, as they watched the removal men at work. Mary and Zoe got out of the
car, stiffly, and walked towards the open door, nodding to the removal men as
they passed by; they entered the house via the impressive, box-cluttered,
dusty, hallway.
    Jim
gently tapped James on his shoulder. “Wake up son, we’re here.” James rubbed
his eyes, and stretched. “Great!” he said as he got out of the car and ran
towards the house. “Where are you going in such a hurry?” asked Jim, as he
started to unpack the car. “Exploring!” shouted James over his shoulder as he
dashed into the house. He was impressed. “This house is huge! Seven bedrooms, and three bathrooms. WOW!”
    2
    As
her parents joined the removal men in unpacking, Zoe was exploring the empty
second floor, using her iPhone to film as