A Silver Lining

Chapter Fourty Six: Cesium & Butterflies

Chapter 46: Cesium and Butterflies

"Hello kids, why don't you take a seat?" Camila said, gesturing at the chairs opposite her. Yes, Camila from Colorado. The one who said she had no idea about the lady with the key we were looking for.

With a trembling hand, I opened a chair and slipped in. Ryan did the same.

"Wow," he said. "I wasn't especially expecting you. You sent me the text earlier?"

She nodded. "That makes sense. How you got my number and know Stella too."

"I didn't know your last name was Rocher, your mansion's name was Hickleman Valley so I thought that would be your name too."

She smiled. "That's my maiden name, I inherited that place from my father. But I couldn't give away my real name now, could I?" She said. "Anyway let's order our food before getting to the deal."

A waiter came and took our orders. Camila asked for white wine and I ordered Pepsi while Ryan asked for just water, which arrived immediately.

"So let's introduce ourselves," she said sipping her wine. "I already know yours so-o I'm Camila Hickleman, wife of Louis Warren."

I choked my water.

"You're-"

"Yes I am, the lady you're looking for." She added. "Yes I have the keys."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Last time I asked you said you didn't know her."

Camila sipped her drink. "You said you were looking for Camila Warren and I didn't know anyone with that name. I didn't change my maiden name," She has a point.

"Though it's none of my business but I heard Mr. Warren didn't have a child and that's how my father inherited the company. But you have a son," I said.

Camila snorted. "That's just rumors of media. But yeah we did let it go around."

"But why would you?" Ryan asked.

Camila sighed. "My son, whom you haven't met yet, had autistic disorder. His right leg was disabled since birth and with his autism, it would be a tough job to get him in business, though he had childhood autism and okay now, he already got into music and we didn't want him to give up on his dreams."

"That's very thoughtful of you," I said.

Camila smiled. "It would've been an injustice to your father's talent too, though I'm also for what that had dragged in your lives."

"It's okay," I said. "It was bound to happen with someone."

Our dinner arrived and Camila refused to talk while eating. So when we were done and waiting for dessert, Camila spoke again.

"I've called you here for a reason, but let me tell you something first. I know you've already heard different versions of this story, but let's hear it again from the origin."

"The origin?" Ryan and I asked at the same time.

She nodded again. "Yes. It was my father with four of his friends who created metal. I'm not sure if they ever named it. It was created from the nuclear fission of Cesium-137. So you can guess how powerful it was. This metal would worth a lot of money and things made of it would last centuries. But after the second world war, the whole Hiroshima Nagasaki issue, they realized how dangerous it was.

"They faced such an accident practically themselves. One of the partners pregnant wife was there with them during the first experiment. It blasted and there was a huge explosion. The lady was thrown back and by the time she was taken to the hospital, the child in her womb died. She was alive but the doctors said she would never be a mother again," she paused.