The Son-In-Law Read Online Free PDF Page A

shouldn’t talk to strangers?’ he persisted.
    ‘Why do you ask?’
    Theo dropped his fork and ducked under the table. Ben frowned and pretended to look worried. ‘Because Theo talked to a stranger today.’
    ‘Really?’ Hannah wasn’t anxious. Not yet.
    ‘Theo talked to a strange man in the park. I told him we’re not allowed. “We’re not allowed, Theo!” That’s what I said.’
    The park is at the end of Faith Lane, where we live, close to the city wall. It has swings, a roundabout and a miniature football goal, and because it’s only a few yards away from our front door the boys are allowed to play there on their own.
    Gramps and Hannah looked at each other, then at the chair Theo should have been sitting in, then back to Ben.
    ‘Tell me more,’ growled Gramps, making a pretend fierce face.
    ‘Well.’ Ben put on his goody-goody expression. ‘I was on the swings, but they were wet from the snow so it was yuk, and I asked Theo to wipe the seat with his scarf and he wouldn’t because he was too busy kicking his ball at the goal, and this man got out of a big . . .’ He paused for breath, and we all watched him. It takes Ben ages to tell a story. ‘Um, he got out of a big, um, big black car and sat on the wall.’ Another breath. Chewed-up pizza flying everywhere. ‘He was watching us for hours and hours.’
    ‘Liar! We weren’t even there for hours!’ came a muffled voice from under the table.
    ‘Maybe the poor fellow was minding his own business,’ suggested Gramps. ‘He could have been waiting for somebody.’
    Ben scowled. ‘He might have been waiting for somebody, but he was watching us. When Theo dribbled the ball near the wall, he said hello to Theo and then, then . . .’
    ‘Shut up, Ben!’ yelped Theo.
    ‘Then Theo said hi back.’
    ‘I did not!’
    Gramps lifted up the tablecloth and peered under the table. ‘It’s all right, Theo,’ he said. ‘It’s not a crime to say hi to someone.’
    ‘Yes, because it is a crime to say hi to a stranger.’ Ben was looking very pleased with himself. ‘Anyway, that wasn’t all. The man said, “That’s some pretty fancy footwork you’ve got there.” And Theo said . . .’
    ‘I’m going to kill you, Ben Scott!’
    ‘Theo said, “Thanks, I’ve been practising.” And he showed off some of his tricky moves. And then they both started going on and on about football. Which is definitely talking to a stranger! Then I went over there and I said . . .’ Ben puffed out his chest. ‘ I said, we’re not allowed to talk to strangers, we’re not allowed at all, and you are a stranger, and if you don’t stop talking to us and go away right this minute I’m going to go home and get my grandma, she lives in that house there, and she will come running out here and tell you off, and she will call the police. Then the man looked a bit scared and he said, “Well we wouldn’t want that, would we?” And he drove away in the black car.’
    ‘Well done, Ben,’ said Hannah, mussing his curls. ‘You did the right thing.’
    Ben hadn’t finished yet, though. ‘But I don’t know if the man was a stranger, really. Maybe he was a . . . a not stranger person.’
    ‘Why?’ asked Hannah. ‘Have you seen him before?’
    ‘No, but I think he’d seed us before.’
    ‘Why do you think that?’
    ‘Because he said, “Bye, Ben! Bye, Theo!” Then he got in his car. Then he started up the engine. And then he still didn’t go, he opened the window and leaned out, and then he said. . .’ Ben stopped for another breath. He had his audience spellbound. ‘Then he said, “How’s Scarlet?”’
    ‘Did he?’ I was rather chuffed. ‘I expect it was someone from the theatre, then.’
    ‘Theo asked him how he knew Scarlet, but he just smiled and drove away.’
    ‘Oh my God,’ whispered Hannah. She looked angry, but somehow I didn’t think she was angry. I’d seen that look before, when Theo didn’t come home from school one time. She almost called