DNA STALKER

by Diane Rapp

  Matt became the center of attention as reporters shouted questions. He praised the bravery of his fellow twins and the seamless cooperation between Federal Agents. Except for Amanda Spears, the other agents made themselves scarce to avoid interviews and photos.

  As the other twins stepped forward to make short statements, journalists swarmed like sharks that scented fresh blood. Natalia and Jason managed to sneak around the feeding frenzy and boarded the ship before anyone noticed. As the group finished their statements, the flashing lights and shouting grew intense.

  Emily Shultz came to take charge. Above the clamor of questions, she shouted, “Constellation Cruise Lines is proud of its professional security personnel, who worked closely with Federal Authorities on this case. Special Agent Spears will continue to guard the twins during the remainder of this cruise.” Her voice grew louder as she raised her hands for silence. “This press conference is ended, however, those of you with proper credentials may proceed quietly to that pavilion.” She pointed at a tent covering tables manned by uniformed crew. “You will receive official press releases that augment your stories, including photos and written statements from CCL security staff.

  “At this time, we must allow these exhausted individuals privacy to recover from their ordeal. Anyone caught attempting to breach our security will be promptly arrested.” Emily nodded at uniformed crew members, who rapidly cleared the dock of boisterous paparazzi. Legitimate reporters headed toward the pavilion and waited impatiently for the promised press packets.

  Amanda Spears led the twins inside the ship and was soon joined by Natalia and Jason. The atmosphere aboard the ship was jubilant. After a cursory medical exam, Felix joined Matt and the other twins on the ship. Applause greeted the four sets of twins as they meandered through ships’ corridors and up the stairs toward the Starlight Theater.

  Amanda Spears explained to the twins, “We thought it best to pacify other passengers’ curiosity by hearing from you all at once. Please proceed onto the stage.” Every seat was filled with passengers eager to greet the returning heroes. Drew and Kate stood in the center of the stage with Kimberly and Patsy as the eight twins marched down the center aisle.

  Kate looked pale. She held onto Drew’s arm and leaned against him for support. When Matt and Felix reached her, tears glistened in her eyes and a tremulous smile appeared on her lips. She received hugs and kisses from her sons, and then the other sets of twins joined the greeting line. Kate showered all the twins with kisses and hugs of gratitude for their parts in the rescue. Drew shook hands and looked embarrassed, but Kim and Patsy enthusiastically swept each of the twins into a warm embrace.

  Kate spoke into a microphone that she tried to hold steady. “As you can see, we are thrilled to welcome our heroes safely onto the ship. I’m too emotional to interview these brave people, so I’ve asked Dr. Phyllis Chamberlain to do it for me. She will complete her work on the Twins Project while the ship is at sea tomorrow.”

  Applause greeted the psychologist as she joined the group onstage. Kate said, “This has been a tense and exciting cruise, doctor. Let’s all take seats while you talk about recent events.” She gestured toward the padded armchairs arranged in a semi-circle on stage and gratefully handed the microphone to Dr. Chamberlain.

  The twins chose chairs next to their siblings. The doctor said, “We don’t wish to make any of you nervous, but everyone aboard the ship feels relieved that you all survived this ordeal, especially Felix.” A crew member walked forward and handed Felix a microphone. The doctor asked, “Are you feeling well enough to tell us how those culprits treated you?”

  Felix grinned and patted Matt’s arm. “For most of the time I was taking a drug-induced nap, while my brother Matt became frantic to find me.” He flashed a warm smile at the other twins on stage. “In fact everyone on this stage risked their lives to help secure my release.”

  He said, “Melany and Penny dressed me in a Kevlar vest while that mad woman pointed a rifle into the crowd. You were so brave, girls.” The girls nodded nervously and clasped hands.

  Matt grabbed the microphone as Felix was overcome with emotion. “My companions were the beautiful sisters, Suzanne and Tania. We took a short lesson and learn to operate Segways, and those two brave women followed me into potential danger. I admit the greatest danger was from my erratic driving of the contraption. The plan called for me to crash into the wheelchair holding Felix, but it became a whopping pileup.” He brandished his bandaged elbows and the crowd laughed. “These two lovely women delivered vests to Tim and Shirley, who were forced to push Felix in the wheelchair.”

  Felix leaned forward. “Shirley was a real hero. She was ordered to stick a hypodermic needle filled with a sedative into me, but she disobeyed and injected the goon who drove the van.” A loud murmur rushed through the crowd as Felix continued, “I’d still be lying on the ground except that Paul and Abby lifted my wheelchair and got me back inside. I pretended to be knocked out cold and couldn’t very well climb into chair myself.”

  Spontaneous applause filled the theater. The group grabbed hands, stood up, and took a theatrical bow during the clapping. Dr. Chamberlain waited for the noise to die down and asked, “You all seem transformed by this week’s events, but I can’t believe it’s all due to the danger you faced. Can any of you tell us more?”

  Melany held up her hand, and Matt passed over the microphone. “Although Penny and I have known each other for years, we never felt like real sisters until this week. Sure, we operate our own day care business, but we’ve never been part of a support system like this. During this cruise we’ve all become a family.”

  She passed the microphone to Paul who waved his hand. “I totally agree. I’ve received firm invitations to visit each person in this group, and you can bet that I’ll do it. Hey! We should figure out a date for a Twins’ Family Reunion before we leave the ship. Let’s do it on land this time but without the gunfire.”

  As the audience laughed again, Dr. Chamberlain jotted notes. Then she asked, “Did any of you discover things about your sibling that you don’t believe are a coincidence?”

  Abby took the mic and said, “Paul and I both love hot peppers on our pizza. Nobody in my adoptive family can stand that kind of topping, but Paul scarfs it down just like me.”

  Tania giggled and grabbed the mic. “Suzanne snorts when she laughs the same way that I do. When we’re together we can have a real snort-fest. She also loves Disney animated films, and I’ve always loved them, too. I guess we’re real princesses and will never grow up.”

  Suzanne nodded and said, “Tania and I are going to take our adoptive parents on a vacation to Disney World. Maybe we can turn them to the Fantasy Side.”

  “I’m sure there are more quirks and similar tastes that you’ve discovered. We’ll meet in private to complete our Twins Project interviews during our day at sea. I believe that CCL has scheduled a photo session as well. Everyone will get souvenir photos and eventually copies of the Twins Project book.”

  She turned to look at the audience. “We should allow these brave people time to rest and eat a good meal,” she stated.

  The audience enthusiastically applauded one last time.

  Emily came out on stage as the twins walked toward the side exit. She took the microphone from the doctor and said, “Now we’ve got an incredible show for this evening’s entertainment. A team of acrobats will shock and inspire you all with their flexibility. Their first feat will be to clear the stage of these bulky chairs.”

  Acrobats, dressed in bright leotards, tumbled across the stage and climbed to form a pyramid on top of the chairs. Suddenly the pyramid collapsed but each performer managed to tumble off stage taking one of the chairs. Spontaneous laughter broke out. New tumblers rolled out mats while doing back bends and cartwheels, while others performed complex leaps and jumps over one another. The audience roared with laughter as a “clown” wandered through the troupe tripping and falling expertly over his team mates. The show contin
ued to the delight of the audience.

  *****

  That evening Timothy and Shirley Kingston were invited to Kate’s suite, where Drew and his sons were waiting to talk with them. Kate’s girls sat together in the living room of the suite while Jason and Natalia sat at the bar, everyone enjoying champagne cocktails.

  Shirley immediately stated, “We’re so sorry about this whole mess. If we’d known what Rose planned, we never would have cooperated with her.”

  Drew smoothed the crease of his expensive suit pants. He said, “Felix tells us that you saved his life by jabbing that Hank Martin fellow with a hypodermic needle. Thank you both for your bravery.”

  Felix added, “They also said that they were just trying to find Drew to sign some important family documents.”

  Raising his eyebrows, Drew asked, “What documents could be so important that you’d agree to join in Rose’s scheme?”

  Tim cleared his throat. “Rose told us that Jim Jones was actually your birth father, so you’re not part of the Kingston bloodline.”

  Drew frowned. “True. But how in the world did you make contact with Rose?”

  Tim and Shirley glanced at each other with surprised expressions. Turning back to Drew, Shirley explained, “Rose is a distant cousin. Do you remember Uncle Chester? Rose Kingston was his granddaughter. She showed up about six months ago when Uncle Chester was dying, and we all attended his funeral together.”

  Tim added, “When the family trust was explained to Rose, she read the list of heirs and got very angry. She asked why Drew was listed as an heir. Uncle Hector told her that Drew’s body was never recovered from the Guyana Massacre, so he was still a potential heir.”

  Drew slammed his fist against the arm of his chair. “Rose knew for a fact that I was still alive, because she saw me run away. The Red Brigade chased me all these years, led by Raven and Hank.” He paused, thinking about the past. His voice turned somber as he told them, “When I first met Rose in Guyana, Jim called her Raven Moon. The Reverend often told her that he chose the name because of her raven-black hair and shining round face. It sounded silly to me, but she loved it, probably because the Reverend gave her the name. I never realized that she was a Kingston cousin.”

  Shirley leaned forward and grasped Drew’s hand. “You must understand. For years we didn’t know that you were still alive, but your body was missing. The trustees decided that they must hold your share of the income in reserve until your death was proven. When Rose claimed that you were alive, she also stated that you were not part of the Kingston bloodline. We needed to establish the truth to protect the income of legitimate heirs to the Kingston family trust.”

  Jim added, “Rose also claimed that you murdered Jim Jones. She vowed that she’d never let you collect a cent from an inheritance that you didn’t deserve. Her claims were quite convincing. Her daughter Jaimie agreed that you were a cold-blooded murderer. During that weekend we developed a plan to track you down and turn you over to the authorities. We thought you would be tried for murder. Rose never told us that she actually planned to kill you!”

  Drew sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Your bravery in helping to save Felix proves that you have good hearts. I just wish we could’ve straightened out all of this without violence.”

  “We’re so sorry, Drew. Can you forgive us?” Shirley asked.

  Drew turned his gaze toward Matt and Felix. “What do you boys think about this family trust? It may affect your futures.”

  Felix pointed at his brother. “Matt is an attorney, so he should look at those documents for us. We’ve never expected to inherit family fortunes.”

  Matt asked Tim and Shirley, “How is this family trust structured? Do trust documents specify that the inheritance can only be passed down by bloodline or could heirs inherit through marriage? As far as we know, Drew’s parentage was never disavowed by his parents.”

  Shirley reached into a large handbag and pulled out a thick envelope. She handed it to Matt. “We believe it requires an heir of direct bloodline. The trust’s investments have diminished in value during recent years, and the income has dwindled severely.”

  Felix told them, “I’m an investment advisor for a reputable bank and would be willing to review the trust portfolio. As heirs you might be able to request prudent changes that could increase cash-flow.”

  Timothy’s eyes grew round with excitement. “Uncle Hector thinks he knows everything about investments, but we don’t agree. It would be so helpful to have a real professional on our side.”

  Matt handed a document to Drew. “This attests to the fact that your birth father was not a member of the Kingston family bloodline. I believe it should be signed, Drew.”

  All eyes remained fixed on him as he read through the document. Whipping out a pen, he signed his birth name to the document and handed it back to Matt. “I have no interest in depleting the Kingston family’s trust. I’ve established a lucrative diamond business over the years, and I believe my future heirs will inherit much more than that trust might ever provide. Who’d care to witness my signature?”

  Tim and Shirley gazed hopefully around the room. Kate announced, “I’d be happy to witness the signature. How about Jason and Natalia as other witnesses?”

  They all signed the document and handed it back to Shirley. She cried, “Thank you! We’ll make sure it gets to the trustee the minute we get home.”

  Drew grinned at his sons. “I’m proud of the men you’ve become and thankful you had wonderful adoptive parents raise you. Do you suppose we could get to know each other better, you and your families?”

  Matt said, “I’m game. How about a visit to Kentucky to meet my whole family? I’d love you to meet my adoptive parents, my wife, and my kids.” His gaze included both Drew and Kate. “We could have a rip-roaring shindig, Kentucky-style.”

  Felix said, “I need you all to visit me in Colorado. Our party will include skiing. Let’s get our calendars out and coordinate the schedule. I already invited Paul for a visit, so we may need to arrange more accommodations.”

  The brothers bent over their smart phones to study their calendars. Drew squeezed Kate’s hand, his lips curling into a broad smile. “We’ve got a family, Katie. Who’d ever believe this could happen after all these years?”

  “Me!” She kissed Drew soundly. “Don’t you ever disappear like that again.”

  “Mom! Get a room,” Kim said with a groan.

  Patsy slapped her sister’s shoulder. “We’re sitting in her suite. You want them to go to his cabin? Really?”

  Jason and Natalia excused themselves, no longer feeling that anyone in the room was in danger.

  *****

  Before the ship left port, Jacquie Ludlow quietly packed a box with her personal mementoes in the Chief Purser’s office. A tear trickled down her cheek as she gazed at Henri’s photo. “Sorry, Henri. I just couldn’t exact your revenge against Kate Foster. She’s already suffered so much during her life, and I don’t believe she was responsible for the trouble at her laboratory. Perhaps the technician Rose bribed inside Genetics Ultra was really the one to blame.”

  Emily knocked on the glass door, peering inside. Jacquie waved for her to enter. “This has been a rough cruise for all of us. Are you sure you want to resign?” Emily asked.

  Jacquie offered her a listless smile. “Oui, madame. You’ve lost your faith in my honesty, and for me, it is time to accept other employment. The sea, she is cruel, and sometimes unforgiving. There exists a boutique hotel on Martinique, and the owner, he often coaxes me to join the management staff.”

  “I hope you realize that my sister doesn’t blame you for the trouble caused by that woman. Rose was a cunning liar who lured many people to follow her plans,” Emily said.

  With a lacy handkerchief, Jacquie dabbed tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “She is most generous. I had much blame in my heart for the company’s mistake, but now I remain unsure. Rose, she hired people to do things in Kate’s laboratory,
and now I wonder if my brother’s death was a part of her general plan. Why else did Rose seek me out at Henri’s funeral?”

  Emily appeared shocked. “We shall explore that possibility with dogged determination, and believe me those technicians may soon find themselves behind bars. Please leave an address for my team to communicate the results of their investigation.”

  Jacquie scribbled a note and handed the paper to Emily. “Be careful, please. There were many who followed that woman with great devotion. Although dead, her influence might still reach out to harm those she hated.”

  Emily frowned. “Amanda Spears has arranged for security, and Esteban is interrogating several surviving gang members. In my opinion, the agenda of a dead leader is quickly forgotten by followers. We’ll remain vigilant until we’re sure they’re safe.”

  “Give Xander Pendleton my best wishes. Yes, I realize his true name is Drew,” Jacquie’s lips curled into a charming smile, “but he will always be Xander in my heart.”

  Closing the lid on the box, Jacquie walked out of the office a final time. She kissed Andy on the cheek and enjoyed watching his fair skin turn as red as his hair. “You, my dear, shall be a fine Chief Purser one day.” She glanced meaningfully at Emily Schultz. “I believe that his value will be recognized by CCL’s president.”

  Andy pushed horn-rimmed glasses up his nose and promptly planted a kiss on Jacquie’s lips. He muttered, “That’s been on my bucket list for over a year, so I decided I’d better do it now. Good luck, Jacquie.”

  A throaty chuckle escaped Jacquie’s lips. “Please ask Mrs. Schultz for my address. We must enjoy a nice French luncheon the next time you land on Martinique, my treat.” She caressed his cheek and murmured, “I’ve never been part of a bucket list until this day. It’s charming, n’est pas? My baggage should be waiting on the dock by this time, so I must get off before the ship sails.”