Read Online The Girl in White Pajamas by Chris Birdy - Free Book Online Page A

ANSWERS
Weston, Massachusetts
    The little girl held the Cambodian woman’s hand as they walked out the cellar door of the converted farm house toward the carriage house at the end of the driveway. Isabella argued with the older woman. “I must, Kim! Uncle George hasn’t seen me in days! He misses me. He’s sad when I don’t come to visit him.”
    “But he’s resting,” Kim argued.
    “That’s all everybody does! Everybody’s so sad and resting all the time.” She reached up and pushed the buzzer waiting for the white curtain on the glass to move. When it did, she grinned as did the slim man with a long mane of black hair. He opened the door, grabbed Isabella, lifted her up and twirled her around. They both laughed.
    “Thanks for bringing her over, Kim!” George said.
    “She say she must see you.”
    George Doyle Hampfield grinned at Isabella as she nodded. “Well, Izzy, since you’ve come to visit me, maybe we should have some milk and cookies!”
    The chubby little redhead agreed. “And we can read a book, too,” Isabella added.
    The handsome man turned to Kim. “If you have something to do, you can come back in an hour.”
    Kim nodded, waved good-by to George and Isabella, and turned to walk away. While she moved across the lawn to the large house, George noticed a dark sedan driving slowly down the road past the property. He thought it odd because their street had very light traffic.
    When Kim was gone, the little girl took her uncle’s hand, “Uncle George, I’m worried. Something bad is happening! Mommy’s always crying. She slept for two whole days.” Raising her two fingers to make her point. “Is she going to die?”
    The handsome man sadly lifted the little child and hugged her. “I promise, she’s not going to die. Some things happened to make her sad, but she’ll be okay.”
    “Why did she cry when she answered her phone this morning?”
    George shook his head. “I don’t know. We’ll have to ask her, won’t we?”
    Isabella nodded. “And you and Uncle Jack haven’t come to visit me.”
    “I haven’t been feeling well, I’ve been home and Uncle Jack’s had to do my work and his.” George pointed to the yellow floral pattern loveseat and indicated that Isabella should sit down. The living room was decorated with white, lace curtains and yellow and orange accents throughout with white end tables. George called it ‘Early Doris Day’. Isabella picked up the remote control and flicked through the stations of the TV until she found what she was looking for.
    When George returned to the living room with a small tray holding two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies, he studied Isabella as she watched two blondes with over-processed hair arguing and trading obscene hand gestures while members of Jerry Springer’s audience egged them on. George placed the tray on the coffee table, picked up the remote control and switched off the TV. They smiled at each other, and he sat down. “Do you think we should find out what Stuart Little is up to today?” he asked as he reached for the book.
    Isabella nodded as she chewed her cookie.
*****
Boston
    After Bogie, James and Trudie finished their breakfast, James stepped outside to enjoy one of his new cigarettes. Bogie checked his watch. “Everybody still sleeping?”
    Trudie shook her head. “Miss Amanda left before you got here. Rose picked her up. I believe they went shopping.”
    “Where?” Bogie asked.
    “I think Copley Place,” Trudie offered.
    With visions of Neiman Marcus, Saks and high-end boutiques going through his head, he sighed.
    “Let her be,” Trudie suggested. “Rose enjoys spoiling Amanda. She’s like a mother to her. She wants her to have the finer things.”
    “No, Rose is more like Auntie Mame! She helps develop delusions of grandeur in Mandie then leaves me with the cleanup detail. I’d rather Rose encouraged her to be more practical.”
    Trudie smiled. “Well, as you like to say ‘She is what she is’!