The Gifted Ones: A Reader Read Online Free Page B

backyard while she waited for the oil to heat. It was almost dark out now. She glanced at the kitchen clock. Not quite time for Ellie’s first text.
    The oil was taking just a bit too long. Grace’s mind started tossing out alternative explanations for New Boy’s absentee parents. Frequent travelers? Super religious? Secret service spy jobs? Uh, no, probably not. Dammit. Could she ever shut off the nagging voices in the back of her brain? She hurried back to her computer. She really didn’t want to ask for help, not from them anyway, but Ellie’s welfare was more important than any old grudges Grace was hauling around. She typed a few keystrokes, then waited until a familiar face appeared on the screen. She adjusted the volume so she could comprehend the Indian accent.
    “Grace Nagle! It has been so long. Good to see you, mishti!”
    Mishti. After all these years, he still greeted her with Indian pleasantries. Grace gave him a weak smile. “Hello, Rishi. Yes, sorry I haven’t been in touch. You know how it is—busy, busy, busy.”
    “No problem, my friend. Your face is always a welcome sight. What can I do for you today?”
    “I need a little background check. I’m sure it’s nothing, but you know I don’t have the reach you do.”
    He grinned. “No one does, my lady. You have come to the right place. So, which young man are we checking up on tonight?”
    She gave him a wry grin. “How did you know?”
    “The lovely Elodie is sweet sixteen now. It is not hard to figure out what you would be wanting.”
    “Mmm, s’pose not. Okay, his name is Aiden Orcutt.” She started typing again as she spoke, “I’m sending you what I’ve got so far. He’s a new student at Ellie’s school, and he’s been chumming around with her friend Nathan Woodruff. They’re all over at Nathan’s house tonight.” She paused to mentally chastise herself again for asking, then continued, “He sounds like a nice enough boy. I just want to double-check, ya know?”
    “Of course, I completely understand. You can never be too safe. Give me a few minutes, all right? I will ring you back.”
    The screen went black right about the time the smell of burning oil reached Grace’s nose. “Oh, crap!” Grace jumped up and ran into the kitchen, where a cloud of black smoke was rising from the pan on the stove. She grabbed the oven mitts, pulled the pan off the stove, and ran out the back door with it, just in time to set off the smoke alarm.
    By the time she had dumped the burning oil, reset the alarm, shooed a stray cat off the back porch, and aired out the kitchen, she had to admit, she had managed to get her mind off Ellie’s new friend for a while. She checked the clock again. In fact, it had been thirty minutes since she’d spoken with Rishi. The man was nothing if not efficient, so why hadn’t he called her back?
    The fear returned with a vengeance. Grace hurried over to the desk and started typing without even sitting down. Before she could dial him up, however, an incoming call chimed. She clicked her assent and started speaking, “Rishi, what did you—” But the face that appeared wasn’t Rishi. “Elmyra? I-I wasn’t expecting—”
    “Elmyra.” The older woman made a face. “For heaven’s sake, dear, I wish you wouldn’t call me that. People will figure out how old I really am.”
    Grace tried to smile. “Sorry, it’s just, uh, I haven’t got time to chat. I need to make a call—”
    “You mean to Rishi? No need. He called us.”
    Grace couldn’t hide her annoyance. “He did? Just because I had a little attack of paranoia…”
    “No, dear, not paranoia. You were right.”
    “Right, what?! What is it? Tell me!” A wave of heat washed over her, and a growing panic snatched her in its grasp.
    That must’ve been obvious to Granny, who immediately jumped into virtual calming mode, “Now, Grace dear, take it easy. It’s under control. Rishi’s doing some more research for us, but in the meantime, I’ve