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“Gia?” Dani managed.
“I’m here. I… Dani…” She began to weep.
Dani was already crying. “We both knew. Somehow we felt the truth. But actually seeing it in writing… I just don’t understand. Our birthdays. Our parents clearly not knowing the truth. How could this have happened? And why?”
“I don’t know.” Gia dashed the tears from her cheeks. “But someone out there does know and is clearly threatened by the truth leaking out. He’s used some pretty extreme scare tactics to keep us apart.”
“The mugging… the fire…” Dani’s wheels were also turning. “He probably thinks he’s won. Except for one thing. He doesn’t know we took a DNA test and that we know we’re twins. Not yet. But if he has a way of finding out—that ups the ante. Scaring us might not be enough.”
“But we can’t leave this alone. We need resolution.”
“And to feel safe again.”
A chilling silence hung in the air.
“Who was that investigative team you mentioned?” Dani broke the silence to ask.
“Forensic Instincts.” Gia had been thinking along the same lines. “I wanted to call them sooner. But I felt like such an idiot, giving them nothing but speculation. But now… staring at these DNA results… I’ll call them as soon as we hang up. The minute they can squeeze me in, I’ll go.”
“We’ll go,” Dani qualified. “I’m running over to the clinic right now and tending to my urgent patients. Then, I’m explaining to my boss that I have a family emergency and will need a short leave of absence. I’ll do it without pay if need be. My colleagues are great; they’ll pull together and fill the gap while I’m gone. I’ll take the earliest flight I can.” A pause. “But I need to talk to my parents first.”
“Don’t.” Gia felt like an ungrateful bitch as she spoke. Her parents? Her wonderful parents? Never. But still… Her eyes welled up again. “You have no idea how much I want to go to my parents. But we can’t.”
“Why not? You can’t possibly think they were part of something illegal?” Dani asked incredulously.
“Illegal? Of course not. But, Dani, my parents—and I’m sure yours—desperately wanted a child. Emotions that intense sometimes trump reason. Actively doing something illegal and looking the other way are two very different things. We’ve never been in their position. We can’t imagine what they were going through or what a blessing it was to find out their prayers could be answered.”
“I hear you,” Dani said softly.
“No matter how much we love our parents, we can’t screw things up by tipping our hand. We have to leave it to Forensic Instincts to find out if our folks can tell them anything, even the most minor detail, surrounding our births that would explain this.”
“You’re right. They’re the professionals. We’re not, plus we’re too emotionally involved.” Dani’s sigh was pained. “But I feel like the worst, most ungrateful, and most deceitful daughter on earth.”
“So do I. But we have to do it this way. For all we know, an interrogation by us could put them in danger.”
“I never thought of that.” Dani’s resolve strengthened. “Call Forensic Instincts. I’ll catch the first flight out I conceivably can. As soon as I have my itinerary, I’ll call you with it.”
“Wait,” Gia said. “Before you log off your laptop, print a copy of the results. I’m doing the same. I’m also copying the file onto my flash drive. We need backup copies, and Forensic Instincts needs concrete documentation.”
“I’m printing as we speak,” Dani replied. “I’m also grabbing my flash drive. We should have two sets of everything.”
“You’re right.” Gia’s hand was shaking as she pressed the print button. “We don’t know what’s going to happen next. We need to be prepared.”
* * *
DNA test results?
When the hell had they taken that test? During their day in Manhattan? How had his employer missed seeing them stop at a fucking DNA testing center? It didn’t matter now, not when the results were glaring at him from her computer screen.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
He threw the wireless mouse against the wall, shattering it into pieces. If she knew, then the other one—Gia—did, too. It would explain the flight reservations Danielle was making now. An afternoon flight back to New York. The fire and the mugging had been wasted efforts. Now that they knew the truth, nothing would keep them apart.
Which meant that threats would no longer be enough.
CHAPTER 17
Offices of Forensic Instincts
