The Way You Are Read Online Free PDF Page B

noticed. Her father introduced her, Joe tossed a couple of compliments her way, which sent her mother fluttering, then finally, she sat down on the couch next to Ruby.
    As she stared at her mother’s shoulder-length, perfectly styled blonde locks, she wondered how she’d come out of her mother’s womb. Not only were they different physically, but personality-wise, they couldn’t have been on more opposite ends of the spectrum. Ruby considered herself a down-to-Earth, simple person who appreciated the basic things in life, like a pretty sunset, a field of wildflowers, rock n’ roll, a good book, or a great burger. Her mother, on the other hand, found all those things trivial. She’d much rather discuss fashion or gossip, or go see the opera. Ruby tried to recall the last time she’d seen her mother eat a burger, and couldn’t. The woman hardly ever touched red meat, and maybe that’s why she remained so thin and Ruby tended to hover on the chubby side.
    Ruby’s wardrobe of choice consisted of Levi’s and shirts, except when working where she wore slacks and blouses. Her mother wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of Levi’s, opting instead for the latest trends in denim and tight, low-cut shirts that flattered her doctor-given cleavage and tiny waist.
    Despite their differences, Ruby loved her mother, and smiled as the woman grinned at her and patted her hand.
    “Let’s get back to our questioning now, Ms. McDermott, shall we?” Joe asked.
    She told the rest of her story while Thomas jotted down notes. Joe’s relentless stare pierced her, as if he studied every gesture and nuance of hers, making her a bit uncomfortable.
    “What time of day was this?” Joe asked.
    “I guess about eleven,” she answered.
    “Yes, because your father came home just as Mrs. Torn was getting ready to serve lunch,” her mother chimed in.
    Mrs. Torn was the live-in head housekeeper who oversaw the cook and the cleaning staff that came in twice a week, as well as one of the nicest people Ruby had ever met. Now in her sixties, she’d also acted as a nanny to Ruby and her brother when they’d been younger, and she baked a mean chocolate chip cookie. Ruby adored her.
    “How was the weather that day, Ms. McDermott? Sunny? Rain?” Joe asked.
    “It was sunny, about seventy. A really nice spring day.”
    “Perfect for horseback riding, correct?” Joe asked with a smile.
    “Yes. Exactly.”
    Thomas took more notes, Joe asked a few more questions, and an hour later, Ruby wondered when he would ask what color underwear she’d been wearing that day.
    “Was there anything in particular you noticed about the man and woman?” Joe asked.
    Ruby had already given a description of them, as well as told Joe the woman’s name was Rebecca.
    “I don’t think so,” she said, unsure of herself. There had been something she noticed, but she couldn’t place it.
    “Well, if that’s everything, then we need to discuss our plan options. I would suggest that—”
    “A tattoo!”  Ruby exclaimed. “He had a tattoo!”
    Joe grinned and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Excellent, Rub y. Please describe it.”
    “I only caught a glimpse of it, but it looked like a leaf with some writing circling it.”
    “Could you see what it said?”
    She shook her head. “I’m not even sure if it was writing.”
    “Well done, Ruby. This should give us a good clue as to who is behind this,” Joe said. “If you all will excuse us now, Thomas and I will take our leave and we’ll be in touch soon. I would suggest that you not allow strangers in the house until we have the threat pinpointed. It was a pleasure to meet all of you.”
    Her father walked them out of the library, their voices echoing in the hall and foyer, and then the front door shut.
    He returned to the library and sat down on the couch across from her. “How’re you doing, honey?”
    She shrugged. “I’m okay. I’d like to go home, though.”
    “You are home,” her mother said,