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As he neared his house, Hector kept trying to think of how he would explain the children to his parents. He considered trying to sneak them in, but that didn’t strike him as very practical, considering the kids could simply cry and alert his parents at any time.

He left the motorcycle in the cemetery again and carried the children to the house in his arms.

When he entered, he found his parents in the den. His mother was sleeping against his father’s shoulder. The man saw him and the children, and Hector could see the thought process taking place on his father’s face.

The man gently woke his wife. They stood and approached him together. “Hector,” his father said, “why do you have two babies in your arms?”

‘You got this under control?’ Garovel asked.

‘We’ll see,’ thought Hector. “A friend of mine is having, uh... kind of a... a family emergency. He needed someone to look after his kids. And, um. I’m sorta the only person he could rely on...”

His mother cocked an eyebrow. “Who is this friend?”

“He’s a cop...”

“A cop?” she said. “How did you become friends with a cop?”

“Ah... a school program thing. He and some others were doing... like a... seminar type thing...”

His father folded his arms. “And that was enough for him to entrust you with his children, was it?”

“I, uh... well, I sorta got more involved than the other kids did. Visited the police station and... yeah.”

“Uh-huh,” she said. “And what sort of family emergency are we talking about here?”

“I’m not completely sure about that, myself... but he needed my help, so...”

“How long does he want you to look after them?” his father asked.

“Uh... a few days, maybe? That’s sorta unclear, too...”

Samuel and Vanessa Goffe exchanged looks. Then they both eyed the children another time.