Read Imposter for Free Online Page A

your baby. Even when we had to hire and train someone to make the parts we needed for it. Money was no object, as long as this thing kept running.”
    I run my fingers across the cracked leather seats and wall panels. “Times change,” I grumble as we bounce over a metal grate set into the ground. “Maybe it’s about time we get a pod.”
    Ellie claps her hands. “Ha! I knew you’d eventually see things my way.”
    I tap the seat with my fingers. Maybe it is time for a change. Isn’t that what Socrates said? Am I the change he spoke of?
    Thick, spiky plants rise out of the ground, and a small, crumbling stone fountain gurgles in the patch of desert earth surrounded by the driveway. It’s beautiful and tranquil, almost like a place out of a dream. No wonder Socrates made this place his home.
    I glance at Eliot. She closes her eyes, and wetness glistens in their corners. A faint frown creases the sides of her mouth. A solitary tear slides down her face. She scrubs it away quickly.
    “I’m sorry.” This must be torture for her. I place my hand on her knee.
    “Don’t be.” She shakes her head. “We all make our own choices. He made his, you made yours, and the rest of us have to live with the consequences.” Her bitter laugh echoes through the vehicle.
    I jerk my hand away, hurt by her admission. Would she rather I have died? Of course, she would. That’s a stupid question. She loved Socrates. You’re nothing to her.
    Will holds on to the handle above his door. His shoulders are tense lines rising above the top of the seat. It doesn’t seem like he was paying attention to anything we said.
    Eliot squeezes my hand. I’ve heard that couples who have been together forever could hear each other’s thoughts. I bet she and Socrates were like that. They knew each other for so long, they could finish each other’s thoughts. I tilt my head to the side and peek at Will. His face is so blank, he looks more like a stranger than someone I would have pledged my life to just a few days before.
    Will’s gaze meets mine through a small mirror hanging between the two front seats, and in a flash, his eyes aren’t flat any longer, but filled with fury and disgust. Goosebumps rise along my arms and I shiver. If he hates Socrates so much, what would he do if he found out it’s been me all along? Would he ever forgive me?
    “Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier, but Maggie left,” Eliot murmurs as the Jeep rumbles to a stop in front of a pair of dark wooden doors in front of the house.
    “Maggie?” I wrack my brain, but can’t remember who this person is. She must have been important, or Eliot wouldn’t have bothered to tell me about her.
    “Our housekeeper. She’s lived with us for most of her life.”
    Eliot’s gentle prodding at such a basic fact makes me blush, embarrassed. “Oh, yes. Right.” I nod. “I remember now. Why did she leave?” Come on, Mira. Pay attention. This is too important to screw up.
    Eliot turns away, staring at the front of the house. “She wanted to retire. At least that’s what Arturo said.”
    Something in her voice doesn’t ring true. “Is that what you think?”
    Eliot shrugs. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m just letting you know she’s gone.”
    “Should I hire someone new?” The words leave a bitter taste in my mouth. The way I’m speaking is as if she was nothing and no one important, and just as easy to replace. At the edge of my vision, I see Will stiffen. So he is listening.
    “That’s probably a good idea.” Eliot catches my eye and purses her lips. “In the meantime, I’m sure Will wouldn’t mind doing some light cooking and cleaning.” Eliot gives him a pointed glance in the mirror. She knew he was listening in, too.
    “Of course not, ma’am,” he says. “It’ll be an honor.”
    As we get out of the vehicle, Will grabs our bags from the back seat. A short, squat man with skin that resembles thick leather from too much time spent in the sun opens the