Death In Duplicate

PROLOGUE

Hartford Daily News

July 14, 2003

Perry Island, Connecticut

This small community was shaken over the weekend by the news that three residents of the Perry Island Care Center, the only nursing facility located on the island, have died “in a suspicious manner” over the past few months.

When questioned, a spokesman for the local police department admitted that there has been official interest in the deaths, but declined to discuss further details until their investigation is complete.

The owners of the facility were unwilling to comment other than to say that their family had provided the best care anywhere for almost nine decades and they planned to continue doing so to the best of their abilities.

TWO PEOPLE STARED AT THE FRONT-PAGE STORY. THEY WERE both frowning. The young woman whose red braids were wrapped around her head in an attractive but decidedly unfashionable style spoke first. “This is terrible.”

She had spoken quietly, but her companion didn’t follow her lead.

“Yeah. More for me than you though.” His hair, spiky and black, contrasted dramatically with his pale skin and light azure eyes.

Her eyes flicked to his face. “Why? Why should this affect you more than anyone else in the family?”

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t kill anybody. Not that anyone is going to believe me.”

“Why not?” Her voice rose and her anxiety was unmistakable. “You’re clean. You’re going to meetings. You’ve gotten your life together. Why should anyone suspect you of anything?”

He brushed his hair off his forehead with a tattooed hand. “Yeah. Right. Reformed junkie-just what the police are looking for. You’re nuts if you think I’m hanging around to take the rap for this crap-”

“But you can’t leave! They’ll think you’re running away, that you’re guilty.”

He shrugged his thin shoulders. “They’ll think it anyway.”

“But where are you going to go? How are you going to earn a living?”

“Who knows? I’ll manage.” A smile appeared on his face, transforming his dour expression, and his companion couldn’t help but smile in return. “You know me. Babe magnet. There’s lots of babes out there and one of them is gonna be lucky enough to take care of me. Maybe I’ll find a rich old woman looking for a thrill.”

“But you’ll keep in touch? You’ll let me know you’re okay?”

“Let you know I’m clean, you mean.”

“That’s not what I said.” But her denial came too quickly and they both knew it was exactly what she meant.