When we get home we round on Mr Baxter. "How come you didn't tell us you work with Alex's Dad?" Mr Baxter winces. He looks at Joe who shrugs. "I'll leave you three to talk and I'll see you girls soon." I tried not notice the meaningful look he gave me. "And remember he thinks I'm a teacher so keep it that way." We wave absent more mindedly and round on Bex's dad again. "How could you not tell us that Alex had terminal cancer ?" At this Mr Baxter looks shocked. "He has Cancer?" At this I feel slightly guilty just dropping the news on him like that. "Ben said he was sick but he never said how sick and I presumed he was getting better." Alex explained it to us this evening. His was diagnosed before his uncle died." At this Mr Baxter seems to compose himself. He looks puzzeled. "Wait did you say Alex's Dad?" We both nod "We just said Ben didn't we?" Bex rolls her eyes at her dads slowness. "Girls, Alex doesn't have any parents. They died in a plane crash when he was a baby." All Bex and I can do is stare at him. "His uncle looked after him until he died when Alex was fourteen, his house keeper looked after him for another year after that. Girls she died just after his fifteenth Birthday.
He was supposed to move to America but that fell through." He catches Bex's gaze and looks slightly sheepish. "I even offered to take him in, the Riders and I had been friends for years. But Ben who knew Alex better volunteered and he's been with Alex ever since." We're all silent for a moment thinking of Alex's tragic past. Mr Baxter looks stern. "Now as I'm sure your aware Alex is oblivious to his family's line of work Ben wants to keep it that way." We nod in unison. But there was still an incling of doubt in my mind. Joe seemed to know something, and there is still something that Mr. Baxter isnt telling us.
So it was decided that after much descussion that we'd talk to Alex himself see what he actually knew. The only thing was that Alex was only starting to become friendly and we didnt want to scare him away.