Double Jeopardy

by Sheila Hudson

  Finn tiptoed into his mother’s bedroom where he found Nemo curled up at Phyl’s feet. They both were sound asleep. He came back laughing. Laughter was the best medicine we could have.

  Even though it was still chilly outside, we took our tray to the patio. It was obvious that the death of his friend was weighing on Finn. He explained to the police that they hadn’t been in touch for years but he didn’t know what suddenly brought Mr. Kenman to our little burg.

  When they met for dinner, Finn said Richard had some news to share but he was exhausted and needed to wait until morning. Unfortunately morning never came for him. I told Finn what Natalie texted me about Richard. She tested for thallium poisoning. He went pale.

  “The assassination attempts on Fidel Castro usually involved thallium. Cuba is one of those rare places where you can get thallium without too much bother,” Finn’s face twisted with pain.

  “Cuba. But what does Castro and Cuba have to do us?” I was puzzled but I knew that Natalie and Finn knew more than they were willing to share. Finn was in pain and I knew him well enough not to push. He would reveal what he knew when he was ready.

  4

  With all of the commotion surrounding Mr. Kenman’s death – suicide or not – we took a step back in the wedding planning. The coroner’s report gave little information except for the poison, but some law officials stuck to the suicide theory. More tests were being processed and how the poison was administered was yet to be determined.

  Life continued on. Finn stayed at his parents, but Nemo and I went back to the apartment. Callie was huge, so Natalie and I planned a baby shower, but Charlie decided to come early by way of Caesarean. We had the shower later with Charlie being the guest of honor. I asked Callie to reconsider being my matron of honor.

  “No I’m in charge of the bride’s book and the gift table and that’s just fine. Beau and I can rotate who takes care of Charlie,” she said. “Molly, are you positive that you don’t want a bridal shower? It could be lots of fun.”

  “Yep. I’m positive. Finn and I have more than enough stuff. Besides you have your hands full with a newborn. Auntie Lee adores planning with Phyl. I’m so lucky to have all of you on my team,” I confided to Callie. “I’m not big on details. Phyl asked me for decision on the color palette and I couldn’t distinguish between crème, beige, frost, or ivory. I’m hopeless.”

  Callie chuckled at my joke. “While we’re sharing secrets, how’s the honeymoon planning going?” Callie asked.

  “Finn is getting us a deal on the Royal Norwegian for a cruise. The ports include the Honduras, the Bahamas, and somewhere in Mexico Seven days of heaven with spa visits, island hopping, and relaxing with the man of my dreams. I can’t wait,” I said. My cheeks flushed. I was the typical blushing bride-to-be.

  “Sounds divine,” Callie said. “When Charlie is older, Beau and I plan on a cruise and leaving him with the in-laws. Mom’s health has improved but not enough to keep up with a toddler.”

  “I understand. As soon as Finn and I are settled I intend to be Charlie’s favorite Aunt Mollie who will spoil him rotten and send him home.”

  We oohed and aahed over the baby gifts she’d received at the shower. I cradled her newborn in my arms. I must admit I could get baby fever real fast. Thinking of children made me reminisce about the angst Maggie and I had put our mom through. I’m sure my offspring would do the same. It was a happy/sad moment since no recalling of the past was complete without thoughts of my beloved twin, Maggie.

  When I left Callie’s house, she had fed Charlie and was going down for a nap herself. Instead of researching modern day pirates or planning the wedding to end all weddings, I went to the library and researched mirror image twins. Mother’s letter from Dr. Quinn had piqued my curiosity. She made notes in our baby books, but it wasn’t enough of an explanation to satisfy me.

  From what I could glean, mirror image twins are identical twins from the same fertilized egg that split later in the pregnancy. The babies had identical DNA but were like the name implied looking in the mirror. One would be left handed (Maggie) and the other right handed (me). Birth marks would be on opposite sides as well. Further reading suggested that adult mirror twins often had children that were mirrored. Such as one would have two girls and a boy while the other would have two boys and a girl. Fascinating stuff. I couldn’t get enough. If only Maggie were here to help me sort through our unique beginning.

  I must remember to ask the Andersons if they had any connections in this field of study. Of course, they had to have. Phyl and Phineas Anderson knew everyone who was anyone in the community – a medical doctor had to be on the list. I certainly had to check this out before we started our own family. Twins would be wonderful but was I up to it? Like Scarlett, I’ll think about it tomorrow. Right now I have a wedding to attend to, a honeymoon to plan, assignments to write and submit, and I probably need a trousseau. Perhaps some sexy undergarments and nighties. I needed a partner in crime to assist me.

  “Natalie, are you busy? How about doing some shopping with me this afternoon?

  5

  Meanwhile, I visited wedding central, Phyl had covered the formal dining room with patterns, dress sketches, guest list names, place cards, and bolts of fabric. One chartreuse bolt caught my eye. I would make sure that color didn’t make it into the final cut.

  Mom’s wedding gown had been fitted, altered, steam cleaned and freshened with bits of lace. My shoes were also lace – the color was something called frosty morn. The dress had sleeves that were three quarter length, so gloves were an option. I was leaning toward “none.” Mother’s pearls had been carefully cleaned. Finn gave me matching studs for the ceremony. I was set.

  Natalie on the other hand was having a hard time choosing between blush pink and bashful pink. They looked the same to me, but I left the final choice to Phyl. She was the expert. Phyl kept her ensemble a secret. She could pull off the chartreuse – maybe that material was for her. The guys of course would wear traditional black tuxedoes with cummerbunds and ties of whichever pink Phyl decided on.

  Flowers were pink roses of every hue that we could find. Small tea roses were perfect for Natalie’s nosegay while I would carry white calla lilies with pink streamers. Catering the entire affair was our usual gourmet chef who probably owned a town house dedicated to the Anderson family and paid for by their patronage.

  Meanwhile Finn continued to learn as much about the newspaper business as he could from Phineas Sr. When we returned from our honeymoon, Mr. A had planned to retire. He and Phyl were going to take a trip around the world with everything resting in Finn’s capable hands. Finn and I would live in my apartment until we saved enough to buy our own home. The Andersons offered for us to live with them, but we agreed that privacy was utmost for the beginning of our life together.

  I glanced at the clock. It was near six. I had photocopied a few pages from a medical book on mirror twins. The library was across the street from our favorite Italian restaurant. I texted Finn to meet me there.

  6

  The restaurant was crowded but Emil, the owner, had reserved our usual table. We were a ‘regular item’ now. The entire town knew about our upcoming nuptials and probably expected an invitation from the Andersons. How can you invite an entire town to a wedding? If it can be done, Phyl will find a way. Maybe we should entertain the idea of an elopement. But that would break Phyl’s heart not to mention Auntie Lee, Natalie, and Callie, who was working on getting back to her pre-pregnancy size four.

  Finn was a little late so I ordered my usual Chardonnay and pulled out my laptop to read some of the material I’d recovered from the web. Mollie and I had more than a few of the characteristics that were listed for mirror twins. We certainly were identical but she was definitely left brained while I was right brained. Maggie was the philosopher, creative genius, artist, and poet in the family while I was the opposite. While she enjoyed plays and operas, I went clubbing and to what our grandmother would have considered ‘honky ton
ks.’ Our taste in clothes, food, even men tended toward opposite but nothing came between our bond of love that only another twin could fathom.

  “Hey beautiful, is this seat taken?”

  Finn’s voice jolted me into the present. I took a sip of wine and moved my computer bag to the floor. “All yours, handsome,” I said.

  “What’s so interesting?” Finn asked.

  “I just discovered that Maggie and I are – or rather were – mirror twins. I’ve been doing a little digging to see just what mirror twins are. It’s a fascinating study. Maybe I’ll do a feature on it for the paper sometime. Even more interesting is what it could mean when we have a family of our own.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Finn said and squeezed my hand. “Nothing would please my folks more than the sound of children running through the house.”

  “Yes, your mother has made that clear. To change the subject, how do you feel about eloping?”

  Finn laughed so hard that the other diners turned to our table but nothing discouraged his merriment. “I wondered when all of this would get to you and you’d beg to run away. We could go over to Akin, South Carolina and get hitched like a couple of hillbilly first cousins.”

  The maître d took our orders. Finn ordered his favorite single malt scotch and we put a pin in our conversation while the waiter busied himself with the bread basket, butter tray, and filling our water glasses. When we were finally alone again, I asked if there had been any developments on the Kenman case.

  “No I don’t think so. His sister is en route to claim the body. Some are still clinging to the suicide theory. I just don’t buy it though. Richard wasn’t the type,” Finn said as he buttered another roll.

  “Well to change the subject, what is the status on the honeymoon planning? Are we cruising, flying, driving or what? And to where? I need to know what to pack for the most exciting trip of my life.”

  “I wanted to keep it a secret, but in view of all the craziness I should probably fill you in on the destinations. I’ve booked a cruise – seven days with Royal Norwegian with ports in the Honduras, Belize, and the Mexican Yucatan peninsula. So swimsuit, sundresses, shorts, t-shirts, and casual wear are in order. You’ll need one evening outfit for a special evening event. That’s about it. Hope that you approve,” he beamed like the proverbial cat that ate the canary.

  “Wow. I’m still taking it in. I’ve always dreamed of cruising to a tropical island but I never thought I really would. Thank you darling,” I said and reached for his hand across the table.

  “I did good?”

  “You did good.”

  By dinner’s end I had envisioned a number of scenes from old movies on tropical islands. We’d spend hours in deck chairs staring at the ocean and sipping drinks with tiny umbrellas. Every evening there’d be dancing to exotic strings played by a native band. We’d take advantage of first class entertainment in the ship’s theatre and even meet the stars. It would be the most wonderful honeymoon anyone ever had.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Finn tapped me on the shoulder.

  “Just daydreaming about becoming your bride and spending the rest of my life with you,” I answered. I picked up my purse and computer bag. We clasped hands and left the restaurant together.

  Finn broke the silence. “I’m going back to the paper for a while. Dad needs me to go over some of the agenda items before the wedding. Starbucks tomorrow @ 9:00 am?”

  “It’s a date.”

  7

  I drove back to my apartment in a melancholy mood. I popped in a cocoa pod and waited for the Keurig to fill my cup with delicious warmth. Ah! There they were - my fleece footed pajamas that Maggie and I gave each other as gag gifts one Christmas.

  I closed my eyes and sipped the cocoa. It wasn’t like Mom’s full of creaminess with Reddi-wip and a maraschino cherry, but close enough. If people who died could see the living, I wonder what my sister and mom think about all this. Were they pleased with Finn and the Andersons? What can I do to fit in with the royalty of our little burg?

  I must have fallen asleep looking through Maggie’s diary. When I woke the clock read 3 a.m. and I was on the sofa. I drug myself into the bathroom and removed my contact lens. My eyes felt like sandpaper, but they would have been worse had I left them in till morning. Did Finn even know that I wore contacts? So much we didn’t know about each other. It seemed like all the drama of our backgrounds sped up our courtship. Was that a good thing?

  The next morning I shook off all of my doubts and met the man of my dreams. Finn was perfect. I was sure of it.

  “Hello beautiful,” Finn said as he pulled out a chair for me at Starbucks. He had already ordered my favorite Peppermint Mocha Latte. How did I get so lucky?

  “Hello yourself. I see that mischief in your eyes. What’s up?”

  “What would you say to an all-expense paid honeymoon?”

  I looked into those beautiful eyes and answered, “I’d say what’s the catch?”

  “Dad has offered to pay for our honeymoon if we . . . uh agree to do a little business while we are traveling. So instead of say Mexico, we go to Cuba,” he looked down and folded his napkin.

  “What! Are you kidding? Natalie says that’s the one place you can still buy thallium.”

  “I know, but this has nothing to do with that. My father needs a favor and if Dad is paying we will get only first-class transportation and a couple of luxurious nights in Havana plus a tour of city. All on his dime. What do you say? I only have to meet up with a reporter from the Havana Times and collect an assignment. Dad says we can’t trust the internet with this.”

  “Are you sure this isn’t related to Richard’s death or suicide or whatever it is?”

  “Yes. I didn’t kill him. That’s all for forensics to work out. It has nothing to do with us.” Finn folded his napkin again.

  “If I’m getting into this family in a few days, I want the whole story understand? And do you also realize that if it wasn’t suicide, then the poison may have been meant for you? After all it was your apartment and we don’t know how Richard got the poison. Natalie said it could be food, water, toothpaste or whatever. Thallium has no taste and is colorless.”

  “You are ridiculous. I don’t have any enemies. Just concentrate on going to Havana and enjoying ourselves until the reporter makes contact and delivers the package. We board the ship and leave. Easy peasy. After we have picked up the package, it’s just umbrella drinks and the pool. Oh did I mention that we can’t tell anyone where we are REALLY going?”

  I examined Finn’s expressions closely. He’d never lied to me, so why would he now. What was so important that it had to be picked up personally? I suppose Mr. A was right about the internet being not the safest place to stash something, but that’s only if a hacker was looking for it. Right? I’m overthinking this I know and am getting worked up over nothing. I have to trust my family and go along.

  “Okay even though it’s nuts, I’m in. If my future father-in-law wants to pay for a luxury honeymoon then far be it from me to deny him that request.” I pulled Finn toward me for a kiss then grabbed my purse. “But for now I’m just a working girl who doesn’t need to anger her boss by being late.”

  Finn blew me a kiss as I walked out.

  8

  Cuba for a honeymoon. What an interesting turn of events. I’ve always wanted to go there, but the prevailing thought was that Americans were banned from that tiny island 90 miles off the coast of Florida. After reading of the Cuban missile crisis in the history books and all about the Castro family, I’ve never seriously considered Cuba a vacation destination. Hmmm. Wonder what Google has to say about our honeymoon destination? And what’s the deal about not telling anyone? Finn and his father are up to something and I’m going to find out what.

  So my soon-to-be husband has me lying to our friends and family about our honeymoon plans. He has a long-lost friend show up and die in his apartment and now this!

  My message app buzzed and the not
e read: Come to Callie’s for a big surprise.

  Before breaking my necking racing to Callie’s, I telephoned her.

  “This isn’t one of your get-rich-quick schemes or a coupon that’s about to expire, is it?”

  “No nothing like that,” Callie said and laughed. “Natalie is here, and we’ve just decided on what to do in lieu of a bridal shower.”

  “Uh you mean besides nothing? Which is what I asked for.”

  “Precisely. Now get your beautiful self over here so that we can set a date and make plans for the greatest weekend of your life.” Callie switched off her cell and I was on my way. She had piqued my curiosity and now I HAD to find out what was cooking.

  When I arrived, Natalie was tucking in Charlie and Callie was on the telephone. Natalie came back into the room.

  “Did she tell you yet?” Natalie asked.

  “No.”

  “We’re going on a spa weekend – just the three of us,” Natalie glowed with the news.

  “Really! Where?”

  Callie hung up from her phone call. “It’s booked,” she said.

  “Okay girls, spill,” I said and sounded more annoyed than I meant to.

  “Well it’s not the weird snake massage therapy that’s all the rage in Asia,” Callie said, “but it’s right up there with stone therapy, cactus facials, and “doctor fish” eating dead skin off your feet. Of course ,we could order the guano skin treatment or the placenta wrap.”

  “Okay, you’ve got my attention. And just so you know, I’m not good with any of those,” I stated for the record.

  Natalie’s face was about to explode with laughter. “I told you she wouldn’t think that was funny,” she said.

  “We’re going to Chateau Unique,” squealed Callie. “It’s all arranged. Charlie and Beau will go to the in-laws and we’ll have the weekend to luxuriate before you and Finn become Mr. and Mrs.”