“You said he used to be leader,” Danny said.
“Yes, he did. But that’s not who I’m talking about.”
Danny tossed out his hands. “Then who?”
“Joe.”
Danny paused. He nodded. “Joe?”
“Yes.”
“Joe’s been coming in here without an appointment and viewing history?”
“Yes. Why do you think I’m so mad? Since he’s not the leader anymore, he should have an appointment. Ghost or not.”
“I agree.” Danny pacified. “And you saw him?”
“No. of course not silly, he’s a ghost.”
“OK, but you know he’s been in here?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because I check the password logins. Joe’s password has been used.”
“And?” Danny asked.
“Joe was the only one who had that password.”
“And you’re sure it’s Joe using that password. He couldn’t have given it to anyone else.”
Trish shook her head. “Joe never shared his passwords at all. It’s an executive password Actually, Frank has his own.”
“Trish, Joe isn’t coming in here. Joe died.”
“OK, his ghost.”
Danny shook his head. “There’s got to be another explanation. He gave that password to someone, that’s all.”
“Maybe. But I changed it about an hour before he died and called him with it.”
“That’s weird. OK. This is something I’ll look into.”
“Thank you.”
Danny started to leave.
“Oh, and Danny. I don’t care if he’s coming in here; he just needs to make an appointment.”
“Gotcha.” Danny turned from Trish, widened his eyes, and walked out. Although it was ridiculous, that Joe’s ghost was visiting history. She did bring up something to look into. Someone was sneaking into History. Why?
<><><><>
It took Robbie about an hour to load up a jeep and take the stuff out to the mobile located next to the quantum lab.
It was dusty and smelled stale when Robbie went in, and before he unpacked a single box, he cleaned up.
He set up the fingerprint computer, loaded Darrell’s interview into the hard drive as a backup.
He was ready to go.
Now he just needed answers.
All day long it weighed heavily on his mind. Even when he tried not to think about it.
The truth was, the fingerprints on the bomb matched his fathers’.
Robbie racked his brain. Had Joe made an explosive for something else and the killer knew it. That was a possibility, actually a big possibility. Joe made the bomb at another time, and the killer used it against him.
That was the only explanation that made sense to Robbie.
He caught his reflection in the glass of the back lab.
He looked tired and worn.
Maybe the burden was just weighing too heavily on him. Maybe it was too much for him to handle. But Robbie wanted to solve it. He wanted to be the brother who brought an end to the questions concerning his father’s death.
Easily he could speak to Frank, Hal, or Jimmy, but Robbie didn’t. He wanted to present them with hardcore truth.
However, it was increasingly becoming evident that he would have to seek help.
Two minds were better than one.
But who.
Readying to close up shop, and put the investigation on hold until the next day, Robbie turned to leave when he heard it.
It sounded like something had dropped in the trailer next door. The one attached to the lab.
The connecting doorway oddly had been dismantled, so Robbie walked around.
It struck him as strange that the front door was unlocked; it was even stranger to him that the light was on in the living room of the trailer.
“Hello.” Robbie called out.
No answer.
He looked around, checked, nothing. Or at least no people.
He did find the bed slightly unmade, a hideous leather jacket on the bed, and the room had a fresh smell.
He heard something. He knew it. But… it was clear that someone had been in the trailer. When?
He stopped in the middle of the living room.
How did he miss it on his first pass through?
The small dining table in the living room had dishes on it. Crumbs graced the plate, and what looked like jam. Robbie ran his hand across the jam.
He balked.
Fresh?
Fresh jam in a trailer that was supposed to be empty?
The very first thought that came to Robbie’s mind was the clone. Clothes. A jacket, a bed unmade. Food? They didn’t know where the clone was; perhaps he discovered the clone’s hideout.
It made sense. But like his father’s prints on the bomb, what didn’t make sense was the fact that there were two place settings.
If indeed the clone was hiding in the trailer, then the clone was not alone.
Yet, another mystery for Robbie to work on.
<><><><>
“Come on,” Ellen spoke in a high pitched voice. “There you go. Good boy.” She bent over, peering into the tiny cage in the cryo lab. “I think we need a Barbie bed.”
“I don’t think he’s going to be that size for very long,” Dean said. “We should get him a blanket. Try at least to domesticate him from this moment.”
“Watch him with the beef jerky.” Ellen extended a little piece though the cage. Harry not only snatched it up, he was like a tree shredder. She laughed.
Dean shook his head. “Kind of reminds me of Frank when he eats a carrot.”
“Yeah, it does.” Ellen stood up straight. “Wow, look at the time.”
“It’s only eight. You just got here,” Dean said.
“Well I stopped by to see what you were working on. Josh is watching the kids. I’m hitting the Hall for karaoke and darts with George.”
Dean was holding a set of tweezers and they dropped to the counter. “George?”
“Yes.”
“Ellen … you two hate each other.”
“No, we mended fences.”
“How do you mend fences with a man whose daughter you shot in the head?”
Ellen hand slammed down to the counter. “Thank you very much for that, Dean.”
Dean shrugged. “Sorry. Just calling it like I see it.”
“That sucks. For your information, we are putting things behind us. And … you know, before he went evil …”
Dean snickered.
“What?” Ellen asked, “What’s so funny.”
“Before he went evil. Like he was possessed. George is bad.”
“He wasn’t always.”
“Yeah, he just hid it well.”
“Dean, I used to like George … a lot. I voted for him.”
“Twice.”
“Yes, twice. I had a full size cardboard cutout of him in my bedroom closet so I could see him in the morning when I got dressed. I had … a George mug, air freshener, shot glass, tee shirt…”
“Yes, Ellen, I am well aware of all the George fan stuff you had. But this is … am I the only one who finds this a little hard to swallow.”
“What?”
“This … putting things behind us shit.”
“Dean it has to be done, in the name of the country.”
“Fine. Fine.”
“And I’m helping him to get Margaret back.”
“How?” Dean asked.
“Check this out.” Ellen stepped to Dean. “She is really jealous. Actually, she started it getting it in her mind that I was going after George in some sort of deep-seated payback for you.”
“Ah …” Dean nodded. “Now, it’s making sense.”
“What is?’
“Why Margaret did what she did?” He shrugged it off.
“Excuse me? What did she do?”
“Nothing.”
“Dean.”
“Nothing.”<
br />
“Dean!” Ellen shouted. “What did she do?”
“She hit on me.”
“When?”
“Today.” Dean shrugged again.
“Explain hit on you. Maybe you read it wrong.”
“No, she hit on me.”
“What did she do?”
“Ellen …”
“Dean.” Ellen put her hand on her hip.
“She asked if I wasn’t busy tonight if I wanted to go get a drink and relieve some physical loneliness.”
“In those words?”
“Um, not, she was a bit more direct.”
“Bitch.” Ellen heaved out.
“Ellen …”
“No, Dean, what a fucking bitch. I can’t believe she did that.”
“Stop.”
“What did you say?” Ellen asked.
“What does it matter? You’re going out with George.”
“As a tactic. Hello.” Ellen shook her head. “You said yes.”
“No, I did not,” Dean said. “Besides, what does it matter? You’re married to Frank.”
“But I thought you and Frank had an understanding with me.”
“No one knows anything about having an understanding with you El. One month it’s me, the next month it’s Ryder …”
Ellen gasped.
“Although it’s Frank’s call. Last we spoke, which was a while ago; we had that no kiss and tell rule.”
“Hmm.” Ellen tapped her finger to her lip. “I have to check on that.”
“Why?” Dean asked. “You want to have that understanding with me?”
“I want to have sex with my husband.”
Dean winced. “I don’t want to hear this.”
“But he won’t put out.”
“Maybe I do want to hear this. What do you mean?”
“Since we got married. Nothing. I got to bed, he comes in late. I get up. He’s gone. I just don’t see him.”
“He’s the leader now.”
“Yeah, I know,” Ellen said. “And I’m taking that into consideration.”
“Have you talked to him?”
Ellen shook her head. “He doesn’t need any more pressure.”
“But you need some affection.”
“Yeah.”
Dean smiled.
Ellen playfully smacked him in the chest. “And I got to go. I have that karaoke date with George.”
“Uh!” Frank grunted when he walked in., “I’m replaced.”
“Never.” Ellen walked to him and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m helping him out with something.”
“Oh,OK. Are you leaving now?”
“Yeah.”
“Have a good time.”
Ellen walked to the door. “Will you be at home tonight, Frank?”
“Um, I’ll try.”
Ellen nodded and walked out.
“Have a good time?” Dean asked.
“Yeah.” Frank replied.
“Have a good time?”
“Yes, Dean, fuck! Do you want me to tell her to have a bad time?”
“No time at all Frank. God!”
“What?”
Dean shook his head. “You have to spend some time with your wife, Frank.”
“I know, but it’s been busy.”
“New job, new worries?”
Frank nodded. “Lots of shit.”
“I understand. Speaking of understanding… do uh, we still have the understanding?”
“Why are you asking?”
“Because I am.”
“Why?”
“Because I am.”
“Dean.”
“Frank.”
“Why?”
“Fine,” Dean huffed. “Because El is running around with George. She’s been spending time with Hal and Ryder. Frank, seriously, the whole understanding thing isn’t about sex. It’s about sharing. And giving someone time with your wife. If you can’t spend that time, you should dictate who gets that time.”
“You’re right,” Frank said. “And the only one I will let have the understanding is you, Dean.”
“Thank you, Frank. Then it’s still on. We’re still having the understanding?”
“Oh, my God,” Ellen wisped out as she returned to the lab. “Are you guys agreeing on this?”
“Why are you back?” Frank asked.
“My purse.” Ellen pointed, walked to the counter and grabbed it. “Although I think I should have some say so in who the understanding is with.”
“First.” Frank said. “It’s not about sex. It’s about time together. Do you not want to have that understanding with Dean?”
Ellen looked at Dean. “Actually, Frank, yeah I do.”
“Settled.” Frank raised his hand. “But … it has to be a clean understanding.”
“Squeaky,” Ellen smiled. “See ya.”
After she left, Dean said. “First thing is I’m gonna argue about the time she spends with George.”
“Just like you did about everything the last time.”
“Yep. If you won’t, I will.” Dean paused. “Same rules as before.”
“Yep.”
Dean nodded.
“OK, so ...” Frank clapped his hand together, walked to the door, and locked it.
“What’s up?”
“You were saying you needed time to work on the new thing.”
“The fetus and nesting. Yes,” Dean replied. “But unfortunately I have so much other shit to do.”
“A little isolation and seclusion maybe is what you need.”
“Yeah, but … but ….” Dean closed one eye and looked at Frank. “What’s going on?”
“We need to talk.”
“Obviously, you locked the door.”
“Sit down, Dean.”
“What’s going on?”
“Just … sit.” Frank pulled out a stool for Dean, and then one for himself.
“Talk.”
“I know you love Beginnings.”
“I do.” Dean awkwardly smiled. “What?”
“You also loved my father as much as we did. He was like a father to you. I know you felt his loss.”
Dean nodded.
“How badly do you want his killer caught?”
“As much as anyone, Frank. Where is this going?”
“We have a lead. A print. The prints belonged to one person and they were found on the explosive device and the timer.”
“The killer.”
“Or one of them. We think there is more than one person involved. But … we think we know at least one of those people. We think. Let me show you.” From his utility pocket, Frank pulled out the camera. He set it on the table, powered it up, and hovered his finger over the play button. “Watch. Watch carefully.”
“Ok.” Dean peered at the screen.
Frank narrated. “There was a school tour that day my dad died.”
Dean jolted. The explosion rang out.
“It was caught on video. Now watch as I rewind and play in slow motion.”
Dean watched.
Frank paused it.
“Oh my God.”
“Who is that, Dean?”
“Oh my God. Frank, that isn’t me. That can’t be me. I swear to you. I swear on my life, my kids, my everything, I swear to you I wasn’t there. Plus, I … I would never wear a mullet.”
Frank did a quick look. “Dean, I know you weren’t there. I know this. We track you. When this tape was brought to my attention that was the first thing I did. I didn’t believe this was you. The mullet wasn’t the giveaway … you were. I know you. So I backed it up and got proof for those who saw this tape.”
“Who saw it?” Dean asked.
“Five of us, and it will remain that way. Hal, Robbie, Ryder, and John Matoose. John Matoose actually found this tape.”
Dean ran his hand over his mouth.
“When Fort came through the time machine, he claimed he was looking for a clone. A clone created from this time, and made in the future. You
told my father you destroyed all the clones.”
“I … I told your father which clones I destroyed. I never lied to your father.”
“So you cloned yourself?”
“Yes, and I didn’t put it on the list, because I didn’t destroy it. But this whole situation can be remedied.”
“How?”
“Frank, I’ll destroy the clone now. If I destroy the embryo, then the clone never existed to come back and kill Joe.” Dean rushed, stood, and raced into the other room.
“But would that stop the murder.”
“Obviously, the clone was there.”
“But the clone’s prints weren’t on the explosive. Your prints weren’t there.”
Dean peeked out the back room. “The reason you think there’s one other person.” He slipped in the room.
“Yep.”
Fuck!” Dean came out of the back room. “The case is gone. The one with my clone.”
“I figured as much. The clone probably hid it somewhere.”
“I have a clone of me running around? Oh my God.”
“Yeah, imagine my feelings.”
“I need to sit back down.” Dean pulled the stool forward.
“I believe that the clone knows exactly what happened to my father. Exactly who was involved?”
“And he would know the reasons.”
“Yes,” Frank nodded.
“So what are you going to do?”
“We want to get to know the clone. Get his trust. Make him come forth as the clone and give the information. Out of curiosity, if let’s say he claimed to be you. Is there a way to scientifically check to see if he was a clone?”
“Sure. Aside from not having the same memories or emotions, there’d be a genetic marker.”
“What do you mean?”
“To make a clone, in a nutshell, you need a woman’s egg. You shell it out, and follow the procedures to make an embryo. Her egg is part of the process. Though minute, it would bear the marker of it. In the case of the clone, I used Melissa’s egg. But you’re more apt to get your answer by securing one question and one answer with me right now. Something only you and I would know.”
Frank nodded. “Let me work on that for a bit. OK? I don’t think it’s needed. I think I’d know you. It’s more for proof to someone else.”
“Marker and memories. He’s not going to have the same memories or manner of speaking. Especially if he’s from the future.”
“I understand. We just have to move on this.”
“How?” Dean asked.
“Drawing him out.”
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