Glass Houses Read Online Free Page A

happened?”
    â€œNo, but I can tell you what I see.”
    He liked that she was literal. Most people weren’t.
    â€œI come here at seven. I do this every Sunday morning. Rachel makes big breakfast. Today, we take twins to Exposition Park to see exhibit at museum.”
    â€œTwins?”
    â€œGirls. They are new foster kids. They are ten.”
    Oh, shit , thought George. Thom had five children. His youngest were 10-year-old twins. Females. He needed to get Thom’s head ready for what he was about to see. He quickly tapped a text message to Thom’s cell.
    HEDZ UP POS TWIN 10YO XX
    He snapped the phone shut, clipped it to his belt.
    â€œWhat door did you use when you arrived at seven?” said George.
    â€œFront door.”
    â€œWas it unlocked?”
    â€œDom and Rachel are strict about locking doors. I use key.”
    â€œAre you certain it was locked and not just closed?”
    â€œIt was locked.”
    â€œWhat kind of lock is on the door?”
    â€œThe dead kind. And there is button you push on handle.”
    â€œWhat did you see when you entered the house?”
    Lena shrugged and puffed on the cigarette. “Nothing. Usually everybody is up and Rachel is in kitchen making cinnamon rolls. They are my favorite. But today … I think everyone sleep late. I wait with magazine. Then I hear beeping of Dom’s alarm and knock on door, but they do not answer. I open door and see blood. I close door and run away.” Her eyes welled.
    â€œWhat then?”
    â€œI call nine-one-one and all these people come,” she said as she dabbed her eyes on her shoulder. “I sit in police car, and get inked and I wait for you.”
    George thought Lena’s use of the word inked was an odd usage, but he knew what she meant. As a city employee, she would’ve been fingerprinted.
    â€œWhat phone did you use to dial nine-one-one?”
    She slid a hand into the other back pocket and produced a cell phone.
    â€œMay I?” said George.
    She pressed it into his waiting palm and he scrolled through the most recent calls. Her last was indeed to 9-1-1 at 7:07 a.m. No calls since. The last call prior was at 10:30 p.m.
    Though Lena’s accent wasn’t yet Americanized, her fashion was. She wore expensive designer jeans, a pearl and gold chain belt, a white, formfitting t-shirt, a short denim jacket, and wedge sandals. The trendy color of her toenails matched the short fingernails. She looked like every other young, party-girl-wannabe, yet her phone log showed few calls and no text messages, unlike other girls her age. This bothered George.
    He passed the phone back. “What was your relationship like with the Lawrence’s?”
    â€œThey are hard people. Dom is very discipline man and Rachel does not hug. Living here is very strict. If I behave, I get reward. The twins get lots of rewards. But they are tricky and fool Dom and Rachel. I am glad I no longer live here. But Dom help me learn English and become citizen and he teach me how to make good work. Now I live on my own, can stay out late, sleep late, do what I want. I am sad they are dead.” She took a deep drag.
    â€œHow do you know they’re dead?”
    â€œI saw blood.”
    â€œDid you see the twins?”
    â€œNO,” said Lena, blowing smoke out her nose. “They are dead because no one is up. Rachel would be in kitchen. Every Sunday. Cinnamon rolls.”
    She spread her hands like George didn’t get what she was saying, but he understood perfectly.
    â€œIf your relationship wasn’t good, then why come and visit?”
    â€œCinnamon rolls!” She flicked an ash. “But also, Dom wants me to help twins, so I come because he is my boss.”
    â€œYou work for him?”
    â€œYes. In his office. Me and Claudia both.”
    â€œWho’s Claudia?”
    â€œClaudia Stepanova. One of my roommates.”
    â€œYou’ve been sitting here for a couple of