“Nothing like that,” he told her. “I happened to get a good look at Dana’s scar. I can tell you for a fact that scar didn’t come from connecting with a sharp piece of wood.”
She looked confused. “What do you mean it didn’t happen that way? Are you saying Alice and Jeremy lied about it?”
“Yes, I am,” he said bluntly.
“But why? If Dana didn’t hit her head, how was she so badly hurt? You can’t think one of them did it?”
“I never thought they did. Perhaps they were protecting someone. The person who did hurt Dana,” he replied. “Her scar came from a knife wound. Someone went after her with a knife and sliced the skin.” He went on to explain. “If she’d hit the corner of a shelf, the scar would have been wider, probably even a bit jagged. Dana’s scar is a clean line. Like this one.” He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a thin line across his forearm. “I got this when a teenager high on drugs thought he could slice and dice me.”
Harriet’s gasp gave him the answer he expected. She didn’t miss the similarity.
“But why would they tell such a lie?” she whispered. She looked around as if she feared they would be overheard.
“The most obvious reason would be that they didn’t want people to know Dana had been attacked with a knife. The question now is, who did it?” He took a deep breath. He didn’t look at Dana as he voiced his request. “I want to talk to Alice Madison, Harriet.”
“No!” Dana cried out.
Harriet sighed. “She’s not supposed to have any stress, Mac. There had to be a good reason for them to lie about it. I refuse to believe Jeremy or Alice had anything to do with this,” she said swiftly, in case that thought occurred to him.
“Even if neither of them wielded the knife, that doesn’t mean they don’t know who did. We need to find that out. For Dana’s sake,” he said in a low voice. “Someone wiped out her checking account. There’s a good chance that person could be skimming money from the business accounts. Dana’s having an audit run on the books. I promise you I will be tactful. I won’t do anything to upset her, but if there’s a way we can get some answers, we need to do something as soon as possible.”
“There has to be another way,” Dana argued, grabbing Mac’s arm.
He shook his head. “There isn’t.”
“Her speech is still a little difficult to understand,” Harriet said slowly. “I won’t let you see her alone.”
“Fine by me.”
“It isn’t fine by me.” Dana glared at Mac.
He took her hand in his, curving his fingers around hers. “That woman was standing outside your house while we were there,” he said softly. “We need to find her.”
Harriet glanced at the phone as she stood up. “I should call Barbara and see if Alice is awake, but the woman can be a little too overprotective at times. We’ll just hope this is a good time for Alice.”
As Mac followed Harriet up the stairs, he could see that while Dana might not have been born with a platinum spoon in her mouth, she still didn’t lack for anything. He would have thought a house filled with antique furniture would be dark and forbidding, but they’d managed to keep it warm and homey with the use of fresh flower arrangements and large windows that allowed the light to come in.
When they reached the master bedroom, Harriet knocked once on the door and stepped inside.
“Yes, Harriet?” A woman wearing navy pants and a white blouse stared curiously at Mac, who stood behind the housekeeper. She noticed Dana standing next to him and nodded a silent greeting.
“Hello, Barbara. I’ve brought Alice some company,” she informed the nurse. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee and cinnamon rolls. Why don’t you take a break while we visit with Alice.”
Mac stifled a grin as he listened to the housekeeper’s less-than-subtle bulldozer approach to getting the nurse out of the room.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” Barbara said uncertainly, looking from one to the other.
“Of course, it is.” Harriet took her arm and steered her out of the room. “You girls work very hard. I know Ms. Madison appreciates all you do. But we’re here now, and if there’s a problem I will call you immediately. Go down, have your coffee and a cinnamon roll. Don’t worry, I baked all the calories out.” She winked at her before closing the door on the astonished nurse.
“She cooks. She shuttles people around like pieces on a chessboard. You really need to marry me now.” Mac grinned.
“Harrumph! If you’re going to marry anyone, marry my Dana,” she told him, guiding him toward the rear of the room.
“Harriet,” Dana protested softly, but she was ignored.
Mac couldn’t miss the difference of atmosphere in the room. Classical music played softly in the background and the colors were meant to be soothing, but none of it could disguise the room for what it was. A glorified hospital room.
The head of the bed had been raised so the occupant could see her visitors as they approached her.
Mac’s first thought was that Alice Madison seemed to be a good twenty years older than he knew her to be. Snowy white hair was brushed back from a face that was just as pale, but unlined. Her eyes were open and watching them. Though dimmed from pain and illness, they were still the same brilliant cobalt color as Dana’s.
“Harriet?” The name was slightly slurred.
“Hello, dear.” Harriet dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I do believe you’re looking better today.”
“He?” Alice Madison looked past Harriet. A faint smile touched her lips as her gaze rested on Dana. For a moment, fear clouded her features, but it disappeared quickly.
“Hello, Moms,” Dana said softly.
“Alice, this is John McKenna. He’s a friend of Dana’s.”
Alice looked fearful again.
“No,” she moaned.
Mac kept Dana’s hand tightly clasped in his. He’d remained behind Harriet. He sensed the woman wouldn’t feel comfortable if he came any closer.
“Mrs. Madison, I am not here to frighten you.” He spoke in a low soothing voice. “I’m here to help Dana.”
“She—” Alice looked frustrated as she tried to form the words. She grabbed Harriet’s hand with a surprising show of strength, and stared at Dana with wide eyes. “She’s not Dana.” The words came out slightly garbled but clear enough for Mac to hear.
“Not Dana?” He knew the woman was too frail to lie to him. “Mrs. Madison, this is Dana, your daughter.”
Alice moaned and shook her head.
“Mrs. Madison.” He thought he’d try a different tactic but worried the woman’s agitation would make matters worse. “Can you tell me what really happened when Dana hurt herself?”
He wanted to hit himself when he saw the tears gather in the older woman’s eyes, but he knew he had to find out one way or another. Whatever knowledge Dana had from that time was securely locked away in a corner of her brain.
“She didn’t cut her head on a shelf, did she,” he pressed in a soft voice. “You told people that because you didn’t want the truth to come out.”
“She—she did it. She hurt her.” Alice spoke haltingly. She had to stop every few words to regain her breath. “She wanted…to…cut her face.”
Mac felt the chill steal through his veins. He heard Dana’s soft gasp, then felt her grip tighten on his hand.
“Who wanted to cut Dana’s face, Mrs. Madison?”
“Da—” she gasped. “Darcy.”
Dana cried out.
“Darcy.” Mac repeated the name, feeling a blow directly to his midsection. Now it all made sense. Why a woman could get away with pretending to be Dana. Why people who knew Dana were convinced they were talking to her, not an imposter. No wonder Dana was so afraid she had lost her mind. She had no idea someone was running around with the same face. “I’m going to take a wild guess here that the Darcy you mentioned is Dana’s twin sister.”
Alice nodded. Her chin trembled with the emotions she’d held in so long
.
“She—” She waved her hands in an attempt to make her point as she fought for air in order to finish the sentence. “She hated—Dana’s face.”
“So she tried to cut her face off,” he said slowly. The stricken look on Alice’s face was answer enough. Dana’s soft cry was filled with pain. He released her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He curved his hand around her cheek as she pressed her face against his chest.
Alice now cried freely. Harriet hurried over to Alice and gathered her in her arms. She hitched herself up onto the side of the bed and rocked Alice back and forth as if she were a small child. Alice clutched at the housekeeper with grasping hands, holding on to her as if Harriet could protect her from whatever demons had haunted her all these years.
Mac stood there trying to assimilate all he’d heard and make sense of it.
“What happened to Darcy? Where is she now?” He had a sneaking feeling he knew some of this. Just not all. “And if she’s Dana’s twin and alive, why didn’t Dana ever know about her?”
Alice’s face contorted in fear. She started to rise up, then fell back. The shock had caused unconsciousness.
Harriet looked up. “Oh, Alice,” she murmured. “Why couldn’t you tell me?”
“Moms!” Dana ran to the other side of the bed. She picked up her mother’s hand and brought it to her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” Mac began. “I didn’t mean to…”
Harriet offered a weary smile. “I know you didn’t. Alice has always had trouble handling pressure. I know you want more information about this Darcy. I will see what else I can learn.”
“After hearing this, we have to agree that this Darcy is the one making Dana’s life a living hell,” he said.
Dana looked up, still stunned by her mother’s revelation. “Why was I never told I have a sister? Where has she been all this time?”
“We’ll find out,” Harriet promised. “But for now, your mother needs to rest. I will call you as soon as I learn something. I promise.”
Dana looked reluctant. “I need to stay with her.”
“No sweetheart, you should go,” Harriet informed her. “I will call you.”
As Mac and Dana reached the ground floor, the nurse was just approaching the stairs. She glanced at them warily.
“Harriet wanted to stay with her a little longer,” Dana explained, as she and Mac headed for the door. “I think they want to be alone.”
Mac expected Dana to explode after the awful secret she’d just learned. Instead, she quietly secured her seat belt and sat back. When she finally broke her silence, her words were quiet and filled with pain.
“It’s not every day you discover the people you’ve always trusted have lied to you almost all your life.”
Dana remained in the truck while Mac took the items into the crime lab. She assured him she would be all right, and that for now she needed to be alone. She had her eyes closed and was resting her head against the seat when he came out some time later.
“You didn’t take very long,” she greeted him.
“Turned out to be pretty easy.” He climbed in behind the wheel. “The wine had enough sedative in it to knock you out for the night. One of the side effects of that particular drug is headaches. With you already having migraines, it was much too easy to trigger them when you had some wine.”
“I was drugged?” she repeated on a higher note.
“Good thing you just quit drinking it instead of dumping it out.” He pulled the envelope out of his jacket pocket. He slid two checks out of the envelope and placed them side by side on the padded armrest. “I was also able to track down someone to study the six checks. The handwriting is so similar, it took him awhile to find the differences.”
“But he found something. He found proof I didn’t write all those checks.” Her excitement grew as she looked at the two checks. She still couldn’t see any differences in the handwriting. Except, she knew she hadn’t written one of them.
“He found proof,” Mac confirmed. He put the checks back in the envelope and stuck the envelope in the glove compartment. He started up the engine and drove out of the parking lot.
“How could they keep such important information from me?” Dana stared out the window but didn’t see the stores and strip malls they passed. She cast her mind back in time, but every time she thought of that day she hit a mental wall.
Mac shot a quick glance at her as he drove. “Did you ever see pictures of yourself as a baby in one of those fancy carriages or a wind-up swing? You wearing nothing but a diaper as you’re learning to walk and you fall more than you take steps. Maybe toddling around the front while your parents look on in parental pride?”
She shook her head jerkily. “Kind of hard to have pictures of something that didn’t exist. Mac? Why did she hate me so much? What could I have done to her to deserve such hatred? We never even had a chance to know each other.”
“Right now, I can’t give you an answer. But I’d say it had nothing to do with you and everything to do with her. For some reason, your sister tried to slice your face off because she didn’t want anyone to have her face.”
Dana reared back. Her eyes burned like blue-black marbles as the color fled from her face. Her lips tried to form words but none could come. She scrambled for the door latch.
“Stop, please stop,” she gasped.
Mac took one look at her white features and immediately pulled over to the side of the road. He’d barely stopped the truck when Dana freed herself and almost fell as she climbed out. Mac got out and stood nearby as she dropped to her knees and retched. He dug out a bottle of water he had in the back seat and broke the seal. He carried it over to her, handing her the bottle and his handkerchief.
She rinsed her mouth and then took several swallows. As she started to climb to her feet, he took her arm and helped her up.
They didn’t speak another word as he drove back to her house.
When they walked into the kitchen, the telephone was ringing.
Mac glanced at her caller ID box. “It’s Harriet.”
Dana shook her head and walked out of the room. She didn’t stop until she reached her bedroom. It was starting to get dark, but she didn’t bother turning on a light. She knew the timer would switch on a lamp in a couple of hours, anyway. She curled up in a tight ball on the bed, grateful for the enveloping darkness.
She didn’t move when the bed dipped slightly and Mac sat down next to her hip.
“She wants us to come out there tomorrow,” he said quietly. “She found something she thought we would find informative.”
She didn’t move when he brushed his hand across her cheek.
“More lies?” Bitterness tainted her words. “That’s all I’ve heard so far. Why should I go out there to hear more?”
The bed shifted even more as he lay down beside her. He wrapped her in his arms. “Because you need to know.” He kissed her brow. “Go to sleep, Dana.”
Mac remained with her until her slow, even breathing told him she’d succumbed to slumber. Even then, he stayed with her longer because he was reluctant to release her.
He would have stayed there but he needed to check some things out.
After he fed Duffy and put the dog outside, he made himself a quick sandwich and settled in Dana’s home office. He did a quick search of all her desk drawers until he found what he was looking for. Dana had pointed it out earlier, and he’d made a mental note to check it out later. Later had arrived.
Everything a person needed to know about Dana was written down in a small notebook. He even found insurance policy numbers.
“No wonder Darcy could access all her accounts,” he muttered.
“What have you found?”
He looked up to find Dana standing in the doorway. She’d draped a blanket around her shoulders, and looked small and defeated. She walked in, the blanket dragging on the floor, and sat down in the chair set in a corner.
“While it’s an excellent record,
it turned out to be helpful for someone who wanted to know everything about you,” he said.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I can always put it through the shredder at work.”
“Changing everything now will do a lot more good.” He tossed the notebook on her desk. He paused. “I found something else.” He reached over and tapped a button on her answering machine.
“This is Dana. I’m not at home right now, but I would like to hear from you. Please leave your name and telephone number. I will return your call as soon as possible.”
Dana pushed her hair away from her face as she tried to figure out what was wrong. She frowned as she finally figured out what it was. “That’s not me. That’s my message, but that’s not my voice.”
“Close, but not close enough,” he agreed. He’d been surprised when he first heard the voice on the machine. He replayed the message several times, noting the difference in nuances and tone. There was a sultry cast that would fascinate any man. The speaker was a woman who was aware of her sexuality and reveled in it.
The woman who’d taped the message on the answering machine was the same one who had called Mac that night.
Mac looked at Dana, whose eyes were shadowed with fatigue and sorrow. Even her shoulders were slumped.
He wanted to see that show of old-fashioned spunk she’d displayed in the past.
He wanted to make her smile for him. And him alone.
He wanted to spend time with her where no one else would intrude.
He vowed that once this was over, they would get away from here and just concentrate on each other. Once there were no worries to haunt them, he was also going to make sure she knew just how strongly he felt about her.
He wasn’t about to let Dana go.
How much have they learned about me?
She didn’t stand as close to the house as she had before. Not with that dog roaming around outside. Dogs were messy and smelly things. The disgusting creatures brought dirt and other nasty things into the house. Once she had Mac under her thumb, she’d convince him the dog had to go.
Mirror, Mirror Page 18