by Diane Rapp
Natalia nibbled her fries. Was she receiving warnings from Jason’s mind while they touched or seeing an actual future? She declared, “I’ll try harder to read something from the Latinos when we interview them this afternoon.”
“Good idea!” Jason gulped the last of his drink. “I’ll arrange for extra help during trips ashore, since two people can’t possibly guard everyone.” He stood and held his hand out to her. “Don’t be afraid to touch me, darling. We’re partners, so anything you see in my future might help us do our job.”
Natalia calmly placed her hand into his palm and rose to give him a kiss. “The jeweler must wait until later. Time to get back to work.”
*****
As Natalia walked into the conference room, she noticed that Phyllis was already seated with the Latino twins, Roberto and Geraldo, at the front of the room. Natalia felt disappointed, having hoped to touch them when they came forward. Now she wondered how she might make physical contact with them.
Phyllis read their paperwork and asked, “You were both born in California twenty-eight years ago, so how were the adoptions arranged?”
“We were both adopted through a Catholic charity in Sacramento,” Roberto replied and Geraldo nodded confirmation.
The brothers both had thick dark hair and chocolate-brown eyes. They stood about 5’ 8” and had similar stocky builds. Roberto described growing up on the outskirts of Sacramento where his family owned a small Mexican restaurant. “My father made me a part-owner in the restaurant on my twenty-fifth birthday.” Roberto looked very proud of the accomplishment.
Geraldo commented, “I was raised on a vegetable farm near Bakersfield, but I don’t plan to stay on the farm. I play guitar and sing in a mariachi band, so maybe Roberto will hire us to play in his restaurant.”
Phyllis jotted notes and then asked, “Did either of you inquire about your birth parents through the Catholic charity? Both men glanced at each other and shook their heads. Geraldo explained, “We discussed this after we met. We know our mother made a big sacrifice to give us a good life and we prayed for her. Now we are brothers once more but have the best families.”
Natalia asked, “Can I get you a drink while I’m up? I’m really thirsty.” The brothers both nodded and she fetched two cans of soda from a nearby mini-fridge. She kept her fingers wrapped around both cans as she delivered them.
As both men touched her fingertips, images of graves, a jungle, tropical flowers, and a faded man’s photograph flitted through her mind. The images blurred together as if they were coming from both men but seemed to be a shared experience. How was that possible?
She plopped into her chair and focused on the brothers. Something seemed odd about them. They looked alike, but Natalia noticed tiny differences that shouldn’t exist in identical twins. She made quick sketches of their eyes, ears, and noses in her notebook. Having worn contact lenses to alter her own eye color, she realized that Roberto wore lenses but Geraldo did not. Were they really identical twins?
Natalia decided to review their DNA profiles.
After completing a few more questions with the Latinos, Phyllis called Felix and Matthew to the front. As the Latino twins left the conference room, Natalia quickly texted Jason: Plz follo Latino twins 4 me. They R coming ur way. She felt grateful their phones were connected to the ship’s satellite system so that texting worked while at sea.
A moment later her phone vibrated with the message: OK got them.
*****
Jason discreetly followed the Latinos to the Nautilus Bar, where they joined an older couple. He quickly converted his reversible bartender’s vest to the gold brocade side and clipped on a matching golden bow tie. Pulling a tube of hair gel from his pocket, he slicked his hair back, turning the color darker. A pair of horn-rimmed glasses completed his disguise.
Quietly ducking behind the bar, he greeted Sebastian, “I need to do a bit of surveillance, mate.”
Sebastian’s lips curled into a knowing grin. “What can I do to help?”
“Let your waiter take a short break, and I’ll serve the foursome by the window.”
Sebastian shrugged and signaled the waiter. Soon Jason sauntered over to the group carrying a tray filled with drinks. Setting the tray down on the table, he slid his fingers under the edge of the table and stuck a bug in place.
Using an Aussie accent, he announced, “Your waiter took a bit of a break, so I’m here to fill in.” He picked up an order form from the tray and read, “A tequila sunrise for the lovely lady.”
A drink layered in orange, red, and gold was set on a napkin before the slender dark-haired woman. Jason judged the woman’s age to be in the mid-fifties. He turned to the older man. “The distinguished gent ordered a whisky neat with a beer chaser,” he said as he delivered the beverages. “That leaves you two blokes with rum and cokes plus extra ice, eh?” He picked up the serving tray and asked, “Can I offer you salty treats to go along with the spirits—peanuts or pretzels?”
The older gentleman handed him an empty wooden bowl and said, “Bring another bowl of de peanuts.” Jason took the bowl, noticing the man’s hands were calloused, his dark hair was liberally sprinkled with gray, and his face looked weathered. The man’s accent sounded Latin, most likely South American.
“Too right, I’ll hop to it like a ’roo in the Outback.” Jason moved rapidly toward the bar while he inserted an earbud. Although the group spoke in hushed tones, Jason heard every word clearly through the device.
One of the twins hissed, “This plan of yours is too dangerous. You can’t expect us to accept murder!”
“Follow orders and don’t bellyache!” the woman snarled. She sounded as American as the twins. Jason saw her scowl at them.
“Cooperate or invite de wrath of Red Brigade,” the older man growled. “We wait long time for dis chance. We won’t let you scuttle de plan, so remember training and stiffen de backbone!”
“Yes, papa,” both twins replied in unison.
Papa? The twins were supposed to be adopted by different parents. What’s up? Jason wondered.
The group fell silent. The only sound Jason heard was ice clinking in their glasses.
Heading back to the table with a bill and peanuts on his tray, Jason set the bowl of nuts on the table. “I’m happy to charge the bill to your room, sir,” he said, presenting the tray with the bill to the older gentleman.
Reaching into his pants pocket, the man slapped the ship’s photo I.D. card on the tray without looking at the bill. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”
Jason carried the tray to the bar. Keeping his rapid motions out of sight behind the counter, he clicked a photo of the I.D. with his phone, sprinkled dark powder over the plastic surface of the card, and lifted a clean set of prints with a fingerprint kit. Folding clean tape over the prints, he wiped the I.D. card clean and processed the charge. Within minutes he returned to the table with the card and a printed receipt.
“G’day,” he said with a polite smile. “Your regular waiter’s back from his break, but it’s been a pleasure serving you.” He returned to the bar and polished glasses as he listened to mundane comments about the weather from nearby tables. The foursome remained silent. Evidently their earlier discord curtailed further conversation until the twins bid the older couple good-bye and headed back to the conference room.
Jason thanked Sebastian for his help and sauntered down the hallway behind the pair until they entered the room.
Stepping into the nearest restroom, he scanned the fingerprints with his phone and sent the picture to an Interpol contact with an urgent text message: This gang leader might be planning murder. Send ID info ASAP.
He then sent a text to Natalia: Job done. When can we meet?
The reply popped up, I’ll text when done.
*****
Natalia watched Felix and Matthew settled into their seats for the interview. They looked like bookends, both had wavy black hair, startling violet-blue eyes, deep clefts in their chins, and
long, slender fingers. They stood over six-foot tall with slim but muscular physiques.
Phyllis quickly established the facts. The men were thirty-nine years old but had been raised in different parts of the country.
Felix said, “I grew up in Colorado. After law school I joined a small law firm near Colorado Springs and recently became a partner. Matt and I both love music. I play the violin and Matt plays the piano.”
Matthew added, “I grew up in Kentucky. After I graduated from college, I married my high school sweetheart and started work as a financial planner in a local bank. We have two daughters named Sandra and Angela.”
“That’s interesting,” Felix commented, “because my wife and I named our two daughters Sandie and Angie.” He grinned at Matt. “We never met professionally but both of us were attracted to blonde career women. The wives love this surprise and are becoming best friends.”
Phyllis finished writing notes and asked, “Why did you submit DNA samples?”
Matthew blushed. “As an adopted child, I made up stories, that I was really a lost prince or missing heir to a fortune. I guess I yearned for a big family.”
Felix agreed, “When I saw the advertisements for the DNA contest, I thought ‘Why not locate some long lost cousins?’ I didn’t realize I’d meet an identical twin. It’s fantastic. We’re planning to spend Christmas and summer vacations together. Matt will learn to ski and I’ll ride horses.” He grinned.
As Natalia stared into the twins’ vibrant eyes, she realized they must be Kate’s sons. Their eyebrows and the shapes of their ears were similar to both Emily and Kate. The violet eye-color obviously came from the boys’ father. Who was he?
She glanced around the room to see if anyone else was paying particular attention to this set of twins. She noticed Kate watching the men intently from a corner of the room. The expression on her face confirmed Natalia’s conclusions.
They must talk soon.
Natalia sent a text message to Jason: Found real twins. Come see 4 yourself.
Five minutes later, the interview ended and Natalia felt relieved to see Jason enter the room. She tilted her head toward Felix and Matthew, and Jason nodded. He sat down and seemed relaxed.
There was one interview left to finish the day. Female twins, Suzanne and Tania were thirty-two-year-old redheads, born in Iowa. The slender women wore stylish clothing filled with greens and oranges, and they carried themselves with grace and poise. Natalia was not surprised to learn that the women were both artistic.
Suzanne related her history. “I was adopted by a loving couple in Georgia and attended art school in Atlanta. My specialty is watercolor art and I own a small gallery on the beach south of Savannah.”
Tania said, “We were adopted through a private agency in Iowa. I also attended art school in Davenport and became a fashion designer. I design handbags and sell them online.” She clasped Suzanne’s hand and added, “Maybe we can market our stuff through Sue’s store.”
“Did either of you attempt to locate your birth parents?” Phyllis asked.
The girls both nodded. Tania said, “I learned that our birth parents were killed in a traffic accident, but mother held on long enough to give birth. Our father died instantly.” Tears filled their green eyes.
Suzanne added, “I hit a roadblock with my inquiries, so I submitted DNA to Genetics Ultra. I always felt I had a sister, and I was right.” She hugged Tania and both girls cried with happiness.
“Do you share any common experiences?”
Tania said, “We both had our appendixes removed in the same week. Mine burst during Halloween two years ago.”
“I experienced terrible pains on Halloween, and the doctor felt it best to remove my appendix the next day,” Suzanne confirmed. “I probably experienced Tania’s pain but who needs an appendix anyway?”
“Thanks, that’s quite helpful.” Phyllis wrote a few more notes and announced to the group, “We’ll adjourn until later in the week. I’m told that members of the Twins Project group will swim with dolphins in Cozumel tomorrow.” She glanced at her watch. “Details of the tour should be delivered to your cabins soon.”
Natalia and Jason headed straight to their room to change. Natalia felt relieved to take off the blond wig and brush out her long hair while Jason described the conversation he’d heard. Clenching her teeth, she asked, “How can we protect those twins if several people are after them? Let’s call Kate and arrange a meeting in Emily’s suite. We don’t want her daughters to overhear what we discuss.”
“Good idea.” Jason hit the speed dial on his phone. “I’ll ask Kate to bring the complete DNA profiles of the twins. We must figure out what’s going on.”
*****
Kate and Emily listened to Jason’s report about the Latino twins’ meeting. Their expressions turned somber, and Kate twisted a handkerchief in her fingers.
“We need more information, starting with the DNA profiles for all the twins,” Jason said.
Natalia noticed Emily’s reaction to the information and knew their boss wanted to explain something. However, she waited for Kate’s permission.
Kate dabbed at the corners of her eyes and finally gave a “go ahead” gesture to her sister.
Emily sighed and explained, “Kate became entangled with the Peoples Temple when she lived in San Francisco nearly forty years ago. She was dazzled by the San Francisco counter culture, thought it was groovy as many other young people did. The Red Brigade was what they called the enforcement arm of the Peoples Temple. We thought they’d disbanded when Jim Jones died.”
Jason nodded. “If the Latino twins and that older couple are members of the Red Brigade, why would they be after your sons?”
Kate sobbed, “My lover Drew was an illegitimate son of the Reverend Jim Jones, but he died with over nine hundred others in the Jonestown Massacre. My twins are Drew’s sons, born after he died. He never even knew I was pregnant.”
Natalia paced the room. “We must make sure the true identity of your sons is not yet revealed. I noticed the fake twins joined in today’s interviews. Did you ask them to participate?”
Kate said, “Yes. Since they’re actually twins, I thought their information might be valuable to the project. They plan to fly out of Cozumel tomorrow.”
Jason suggested, “Convince them to play their roles for a few more days. We can protect them if they stay on the ship, but they could be in danger if they leave.”
Emily gasped. “You think they’re in real danger?”
Nodding, Natalia explained, “Data stolen from Kate’s company marked them as Kate’s sons. We should clear this case without revealing the true identity of her boys.”
“They’re actors so I’ll try to hire them for the commercials we plan to make. I’ll tell them we need to shoot a few promos on the ship. They’d be perfect and might be eager to stay for an acting job.”
Jason perused the lists of employees that Emily provided. “Only a handful of employees joined the ship in Galveston but there are more that boarded last week. How about people working the shops? I noticed a white-haired man who paid close attention to Kim’s lecture. He works at Diamonds & More.”
Emily checked a separate roster. “He is Xander Pendleton, the owner of several stores that rent space on our ships. He boarded in Barbados. It’s unusual for him to stay aboard for an entire cruise; he usually restocks inventory, gathers receipts, and trains employees for a few days before returning to Columbia. This time he booked a cabin and has been aboard for two weeks.”
Jason nodded. “He seems quite friendly with Jacquie Ludlow.”
Emily shrugged. “She’s single and attractive. I’m not surprised that a handsome man takes an interest in her.”
Jason grinned. “Probably nothing to worry about but I’ll run a complete background check. Let’s look at other shop personnel as well.”
Natalia remembered that Jacquie didn’t seem to like Kate when they met but she remained silent. She studied the DNA profiles of t
he Latino twins, Roberto and Geraldo. “This profile seems odd. I noticed distinct differences between the twins’ facial features, so I don’t believe they’re actually identical twins.” She handed over her drawings and pointed out the discrepancies. “If they submitted the same sample for each application, they’d be linked as identical twins. Someone must’ve been aware of the Twins Project long before we sailed.”
“We never advertised the project,” Kate said. “How could they know?”
Jason pondered the situation. “I’m betting that someone inside your company leaked information, perhaps helped steal data for them.”
“Patsy and Kim planted false information about the fake twins. Why would they give out false data without including the truth?” Kate asked.
Jason rubbed his ear lobe as he pondered the question. “It doesn’t make sense. Perhaps there are more people in your company who are part of a bigger problem.” He turned and offered his hand to Natalia. “We’d better skip the folk dancing show tonight, since we’ve got ever so much studying to do with these lists.”
She let him help her to her feet. “I’m not very fond of Mexican music and dancing so let’s do our homework.” She smiled at Kate. “We’ll see you tomorrow evening here in Emily’s suite. Hope we have some news to report.”
As Natalia and Jason entered the elevator, she suggested, “Let’s check my ring size and look at a few diamond rings.”
“You’re reading my mind again, darling.” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “We can shop and investigate at the same time.”
Diamonds & More was a high-end jewelry store with mahogany and beveled glass cases that displayed extravagant jewels and watches. Two customers were browsing the aisles as Natalia and Jason entered. Xander Pendleton stood behind a display of dazzling diamond rings, expertly adjusting a display of pricey merchandise.
Natalia was impressed by his appearance. He wore a form-fitted sky-blue cotton suit, a silk tie with tropical flowers, and a sapphire-encrusted tie clip. A salon obviously cared for the man’s wavy white hair and creamy bronzed skin. As he looked up, Natalia wondered if Xander wore brown-tinted contact lenses to disguise the color of his eyes.