by Philip Cox
‘Sit down, Mr Gibbons, please,’ she said softly. As he looked into her grey eyes, he could see they were moist. He slowly lowered himself into an armchair; she sat on the chair opposite.
‘It was almost three years ago,’ she told him. ‘Three years on the 28th, to be precise.’
Matt paused a moment before speaking.
‘What happened?’ he asked softly.
She fiddled with the silver necklace she was wearing. ‘She was visiting us. Late one morning she had arranged to meet a friend – I don’t know who they were – for brunch. The weather was bad that day, very heavy rain…’ She paused a moment to compose herself.
‘Take your time,’ Matt said.
‘She was making her way back here. It was dark and raining hard. There was some construction going on on part of her route back here…’ She paused again. ‘Somehow, in the wet, she lost control of the car, and crashed into the side of an overpass. The car burst into flames.’
Matt put his hand to his mouth. ‘Oh my God.’
‘The policewoman who called round said she must have been killed or at least rendered unconscious immediately, so she wouldn’t have felt…’
Matt nodded rapidly, hoping she would change the subject, not prolong the pain she was putting herself through. He knew that this could not have been his Ruth, but even so; the poor woman must have been grief-stricken. The pain must still be so raw.
She sat up erect, composing herself. ‘So you see, Mr Gibbons: my daughter cannot possibly be your missing wife.’
He nodded again, accepting what she had said. He stood to leave.
‘My husband died six months later,’ she continued. ‘Of cancer. But I’m sure Ruth’s death had an effect on him.’
‘I’m sure it did,’ Matt said softly. ‘I’m so sorry for your loss.’
He turned to leave. He had an answer to his question, although not an answer he could ever have expected.
‘I’ll show you out,’ she said, getting up from her chair. He followed her to the front door.
‘If I could ask you one more question…’ he said as they got to the door. ‘You might think it a strange thing to ask, and I certainly don’t mean any disrespect.’
She smiled up at him. A sad smile. ‘Ask away.’
‘Was she your daughter? Your natural daughter, I mean?’
‘You mean was she adopted and did she have a twin sister whom you met?’ she asked.
‘I – I’m not sure what I…’
‘She was our natural daughter. I was her birth mother, to use that horrible modern parlance. She was not adopted, and no: she did not have a twin sister. She was an only child.’
Matt nodded again, again not knowing what to say to her.
‘Could I see your wife’s photograph again?’ she asked.
‘Surely.’ He took out the picture once more.
‘Yes, I can see a similarity,’ she said. ‘But that’s not my daughter. I am sorry you’ve had a wasted journey.’
‘Not wasted,’ Matt said resignedly. ‘Just crossing off one possibility, that’s all.’
‘Have you been to the police?’ she asked. ‘About your wife, I mean.’
‘I have. But I have to look for myself, too. Have to be doing something.’
‘I understand.’
Matt smiled at her. ‘I’ll leave you in peace now. Thank you for your time. And once again: I’m so sorry for your loss. And that of your husband.’
‘I hope you find your wife,’ she said, slowly closing the door.
Matt turned and walked back to his car. Put the key in the ignition, then stopped before turning the key. He looked over at the Dubois house. Through the window of what was her lounge Matt could see the outline of the rear lounge window. He thought he could see the silhouette of Mrs Dubois watching him. He started the engine and drove off. Turned the corner of the first cross street and pulled over again. He turned off the engine and leaned back in the seat.
He looked back at the street he had left. It was time to go home now: he could see no reason to prolong his visit. He reached for his cell phone and called his parents’ house. His father answered.
‘Hello, Dad, it’s me.’
‘Hello there, son; how’s the trip going?’
Matt could not be sure how much his mother had told his father.
‘Just winding things up, that’s all.’
‘I’ll just get your mother.’
Matt gave a wry smile as he waited.
‘Hello Matt; how are you?’ Estelle asked.
‘Fine; about to set off for home.’
‘Good; nice and early. How did it go?’
‘Well, I managed to see -’
‘Hold on for a second.’
Matt paused for a moment and then his mother said, ‘Carry on. Your father just came in. I haven’t told him why you went down there. Not the full picture anyway.’
Matt then proceeded to tell her about his conversation with Elisabeth Dubois. His mother said very little, just the occasional ‘u-huh’ and a gasp when he told her about the car crash.
‘Well, come on back now if you’ve finished there,’ she said. ‘We can have a better conversation when you are here.’
‘I will. Is Nathan around?’
‘Yes, but he’s asleep.’
‘Asleep?’
‘Yes. He and your father were having a game of basketball in the yard and he fell asleep on the couch not ten minutes ago. I think his Grandpa will be doing the same thing soon,’ she added.
‘See you around seven I expect.’
‘You two going to stop over?’
‘Probably not. I’m supposed to be back at work tomorrow. See what time I get to yours. Another hour in the car shouldn’t make much difference.’
‘Look, Matt; if you have things to sort out, why not let Nathan stay here a couple of days? Would be a break for him. Surely it won’t matter if he misses a couple of days at kindergarten.’
Matt thought. Although he was desperate to see his son again, he did have a lot of things he needed to do, and it would make it easier if Nathan was with his parents.
‘Yeah, but what about clothes and stuff?’
‘Don’t worry. We can sort things out.’
‘All right; guess you’re right. Look – it’s Wednesday. What about I come down Saturday and pick him up? Maybe we could drive home Sunday.’
‘That sounds perfect to me. The two of you are always welcome; you know that.’
‘Okay. I’ll head straight home then. Give you a call when I get back. Speak to Nathan then. If he’s happy about staying till the weekend, then that’s what we’ll do.’
‘I can’t see him having a problem with that. But I’ll ask him anyway.’
‘No, I’m sure he won’t. Tell him I love him and I’ll call tonight.’
Matt hung up and started the car. It was going to be a long day and he wanted to get home. He needed the peace and quiet of his own house to think things through; he needed to be in Boston tonight.
He made good progress east along the New York State Thruway, and around two thirty pulled over to fuel up, use the bathroom and get something to eat. There was a self-service cafeteria at the service area. He stood in line with his tray, and ordered a club sandwich and fries and a cola.
For the second time that day, he picked a window booth and sat eating his late lunch. Whilst eating, he could not help but ponder his visit to Elisabeth Dubois.
He had some answers now, but not the ones he was expecting. He was unsure whether to feel guilty for calling on her and raking up painful memories, or whether she had told him the whole truth. There was an uncanny similarity between her daughter and his wife; the dates of birth were the same, and they shared the same name. But her daughter had been dead nearly three years. And what reason would she have for telling him anything other than the truth? What she told him was clearly upsetting her.
So: Ruth Dubois and Ruth Levene Gibbons shared the same birthday, but were two diff
erent people, both only children. Ruth Dubois died three years ago. Ruth Levene Gibbons was alive, so Matt hoped and prayed. Different people. The theory that Matt had dreamt up about them being twins separated at birth could be discounted.
But now Matt had another question: why did his Ruth have the other woman’s birth certificate hidden away?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Once he knew that Nathan would be staying at his parents’ house, Matt took the drive back more easily. No need to rush. He was not exactly reluctant to get home, but it would not be the same without Nathan. It was not the same without Ruth, but not having his son around would be worse. He tried to recall the last time he had spent the night at home without Nathan: he was sure it had happened before, but could not recall when. The house would seem really empty tonight. He suddenly felt lonely.
Needing to focus on something else, he deliberated over today’s events and his next steps. He needed to speak to Lieutenant Weber: to check on any progress with Ruth, and to update him on what he had turned up. On the birth certificate for Ruth Dubois and his visit to Rochester for a start; find out what the police were told at Cambridge Pharmaceuticals; and tell him about: what was her name? Aki Watanabe. Did the police know she was Danny Clark’s girlfriend? They probably did, but it might be important.
He needed to speak to Gail as well. Gail was Ruth’s best friend, and had known her longer than he had. He needed to speak with her about the birth certificate, and the Rochester connection. Once he had got home, he would call her.
As the turnpike passed the CSX Beacon Park Rail Yard, Matt checked the time. It was still relatively early in the evening. Time then to turn off at the next exit and go up to Gail and Ryan’s this evening. Would be better than calling her. He negotiated a number of intersections and was soon heading north up the Mystic Avenue. A touch of déjà vue, he thought, as he turned into the little parking lot at Gail’s building. He had not been here for some months, then twice in a week or so.
He climbed the stairs to their floor and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened slightly. Gail peered round over the chain.
‘Sorry to call unannounced,’ Matt said, cheerily but wearily.
‘Hey there,’ she said, sounding surprised. She closed the door so she could release the chain, and then opened it to let him in.
‘How you doing?’ she asked, reaching up to kiss him.
‘I’m doing okay,’ he said. ‘In the circumstances.’
‘Has there been any news?’ she asked.
‘There’ve been a few – er, developments,’ Matt said.
She walked over to the breakfast bar which separated their kitchen from the living room and lit a cigarette. Matt noticed she was not fully dressed: she was wearing a dressing gown, black with a dragon emblem on the back.
‘I see,’ she said, taking a drag. ‘Developments. That sounds mysterious.’
‘Well,’ Matt said, taking his coat off. ‘Stuff that’s a mystery to me. Might not be to you.’
‘Oh, how so?’ she asked.
‘It’s just that you’ve known Ruth longer than I have.’
She took another puff. ‘Oh, I see. Sorry, Matt; do you want a drink or something?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t say no to a coffee. It’s been a long day.’
‘All right. You take it black, don’t you? Sit down; it won’t take long.’
‘Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?’ Matt left her in the kitchen. After a long drive Matt needed to pee, desperately. A couple of minutes later, much relieved, he joined Gail outside. ‘Thanks,’ he said as she passed him the coffee. He sat on one of the breakfast bar stools. Gail remained in the kitchen.
‘Do you mind if I carry on?’ she asked, as she moved foil boxes from the refrigerator to the oven. ‘Ryan’s due home soon, and we’ve not eaten yet.’
Matt had always had a lot of time for Ryan. He had known Gail for almost as long as he had known Ruth, and while he liked her, there was just something about her that made him glad she was Ruth’s friend, not his. Something he could never quite put his finger on. Ryan on the other hand was a guy Matt warmed to as soon as they met. Although not friends themselves – they moved in different social circles – they would always find themselves on the same wavelength. Whenever they met up as a foursome, he would always enjoy Ryan’s company more than Gail’s, and always found him easier to talk to. On the occasions that Gail and Ryan visited Matt and Ruth at their house, he got the impression that Gail looked down her nose at their home. Maybe it was the continual mess the place was in, thanks to Nathan. Sure, it was not the luxury condominium she and Ryan had, but it was their home nevertheless. Ryan on the other hand was the perfect guest, even though he was probably earning five times what he and Ruth were. And there was the way they were with Nathan: Gail tended to be rather aloof at times, happy for him to be doing his own thing; Ryan, however, had no problem getting on the floor and playing dinosaurs with him.
‘Where’s Nathan, by the way?’ she asked.
‘Down with his grandparents until the weekend. Gives me time to do stuff.’
She nodded. ‘Right.’
‘Is Ryan not in then?’ Matt asked, looking around, expecting him to be in one of the other rooms.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Still on his way home. Due in about half an hour.’
Matt seemed surprised; he had a feeling Ryan was at home. He nodded and drank some coffee. ‘Okay.’
‘So…,’ Gail said. ‘These developments?’
Matt got off the stool and walked over to the chair where he had left his overcoat. He reached in and took out the envelope. ‘How long have you known Ruth?’ he asked, returning to the stool.
Gail stopped whatever she was doing in the kitchen and mentally counted. ‘Quite a few years,’ she said, half laughing.
‘More years than I have.’
She nodded. ‘A few, yeah. Why?’
‘What was her maiden name?’
‘Levene. You know that.’
‘Right. Levene.’ He opened the envelope. ‘Look at this,’ he said, passing the birth certificate over to her.
She read it a couple of times, and then looked up at Matt.
‘It’s Ruth’s -’
‘Look at it again. Look at the surname.’
She looked again. ‘I didn’t notice. Dubois. This isn’t Ruth’s, then.’
‘Did you know her parents?’
She passed the certificate back. ‘No. They were already dead when we first met.’
‘You don’t know what their names were.’
She shook her head.
‘I found this certificate hidden in a box in the attic. I didn’t put it there. But look at the date of birth on it: exactly the same as Ruth’s, isn’t it?’ He showed it to her again. ‘And the name. Apart from the surname, it could be Ruth’s. There was nothing she ever said to you – even years ago – that could explain this?’
‘No; nothing.’
Matt tutted and slid the certificate back in the envelope.
‘Don’t forget, Matt: Ruth had always been a private person. If there was stuff she didn’t tell you, she wouldn’t have told me.’
He shrugged. ‘Maybe I thought you two had woman to woman conversations.’
‘We did. But not about that. I’ve never heard of a Ruth Dubois. And her parents were always dead.’ She shook her head. ‘You know what I mean.’
‘Elisabeth Dubois is still alive,’ Matt said.
‘Oh?’ Gail asked. ‘You’ve spoken to her?’
‘That’s where I’ve just come back from. That’s why Nathan’s at my folks’ place. I did some online searching for the surname of Dubois in Rochester, and found her. I spoke to her today.’
‘Oh?’ said Gail, finishing her cigarette. ‘What did she tell you?’
‘Not much. Not much I think. She was married to an Ira Dubois – he died a few years back, apparently. Their ages are right for Ruth’s parents. But she told me that the Ruth Dubois on
the certificate was her only daughter. Only child. But she died in an auto accident couple of years back.’
‘I see.’
‘So,’ Matt went on, ‘this obviously isn’t Ruth’s certificate. But it doesn’t explain why Ruth had it. And there’s this.’ He took out one of the photographs and held it up for Gail to see. ‘That’s a picture apparently of her daughter. Can you see the similarity?’
Gail looked closer. She crinkled her nose slightly. ‘Could be. But obviously isn’t.’
The door opened and Ryan stepped in.
‘Sweetie, I’m – hey there, Matt, fancy you being here. This is a surprise. Any news?’ he asked as they shook hands.
‘She hasn’t shown up,’ said Matt. ‘But I’m following a few lines of enquiry.’
‘Don’t the police do that?’ Ryan asked as he took off his coat and hung it in a wall closet next to the door. He went over to Gail and embraced her. ‘Mm,’ he said. ‘You smell good.’ He swished her robe cord. ‘What’s this? Don’t tell me: you had plans for me tonight, but Matt came in and spoilt it?’
‘Not exactly,’ said Gail. ‘I got home a bit earlier than usual. Just climbed out of the bath.’
Ryan laughed. ‘Okay,’ he said, raising his palms in mock surrender. ‘Let me go freshen up.’
He kissed Gail again and went into their bedroom, putting his hand on Matt’s shoulder as he went past.
‘What are you going to do now?’ Gail asked, when Ryan had gone.
‘No idea, to be honest. I’ll probably get hold of that police Lieutenant who came to see me. See what he thinks. Hey,’ he said, changing the subject, ‘did you see the TV news last night?’
‘Er, may have done. Why? Was there something about Ruth?’
‘No, no. It was about a suspicious death. A woman up in the Winchester area.’
Gail shook her head.
‘It was a woman called Watanabe. Aki Watanabe. Found dead in her bath. But the thing is: you know I told you I went down to Cambridge Pharmaceuticals to see if Ruth was there.’
‘Ah, yes; I think you did.’
‘Well, the manager there told me he’d never heard of her. I knew it was bullshit, so I waited outside to see if I could catch her leaving for lunch.’