Mirror Image

by Curry, Edna

  Laurie had to swallow hard before she could begin to read the story.

  After she tucked Susie in and kissed her good-night, she felt a sudden urge to pull back the drape to check the lock on the window.

  She stared out into the night. The yard light lit up the whole yard, making her nervousness seem inappropriate. The window lock seemed secure enough, and Susie’s bedroom was on the second floor. Still, she felt uneasy.

  Telling herself she was worrying about nothing, she went back downstairs and found Jass in his den. She looked curiously around the room, deciding it suited him. The brown leather sofa and chair and the plaid drapes gave the room a formal, masculine air.

  She moved silently across the plush carpet. Coming up behind him at the computer, she placed her hands on his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his firm muscles beneath her fingers. He was playing solitaire.

  “What’s this? The sedate computer programmer playing a card game?”

  He looked up and grinned boyishly. “You caught me. I like to relax this way. Are you all set to leave in the morning?”

  She nodded.

  “Do you think closing Laurie’s apartment will be much of a problem?”

  She shook her head. “We lucked out on that. We don’t have to close it. Remember I told you that Mary, my young night nurse at the hospital, wanted to sublease it?”

  He glanced at her. “Yes, but I thought that was only a possibility. I didn’t know she’d taken it.”

  “The gal Mary roomed with is getting married, and the new couple wants that apartment, so Mary needs to find a place fast. So she went to talk to the landlord and said she’d signed to take over the lease. She’ll move in as soon as we take everything we want. She said she might buy some of the furniture, too.”

  “That’s great.”

  “I’m supposed to call her when we get there, so she can come look at it and decide about the furniture.”

  “Great.” He turned back and shut down the computer, then rose and put his arm around her possessively. “Then let’s get some shut-eye. We have an early flight.”

  But he kept his arm around her and followed her to her bed then slowly began undressing her, kissing each bit of bare skin as he uncovered it. It was a while before they got to sleep.

  ***

  Their flight was uneventful. When Jass dozed, Laurie dug out the paperback romance she'd tucked in her purse. The happy ending brought tears to her eyes, and she wondered if she dared hope her own life would have one as well.

  Upon their arrival at the airport, they picked up the rental car Jass had ordered, and were on their way to Laurie’s apartment before noon.

  They stopped for lunch at a familiar chain restaurant. When they were seated, Laurie excused herself to visit the ladies' room. When she returned, Jass was reading a newspaper.

  He looked up. “I ordered us the special,” he said with a smile. “It’s an Oriental stir-fry that the waitress said was mostly vegetables. I hope that’s okay?”

  She shrugged. “Sounds all right.” He’d already turned his attention back to his paper, and there was no waitress in sight. Which vegetables? Oh, well, what does it matter? It’ll be food. She hadn’t liked her bagel on the plane, and had left most of it. Now her stomach growled its protest. Sipping her coffee, she picked up a section of Jass’s paper and read it.

  In a few minutes the waitress brought their stir-fry and a salad on the side. Laurie looked at the stir-fry cautiously, but decided there was nothing taboo in it. She picked up her fork and began to eat it.

  “Mm. This is good. Do you like it?” Jass asked, devouring his.

  “Yes. It’s delicious, in fact,” she assured him.

  They finished their meal and walked back out to the car. Jass unlocked it, and turned to help her in.

  They were turning into the parking lot beside Laurie’s apartment when she said, “I don’t feel very good, Jass. My throat feels tight.”

  Jass stared at her in surprise. “You don’t look very good, either, LaRae. Good grief, what’s the matter? Your face is all red and puffy!”

  She reached over and turned the rear-view mirror so she could see herself in it. Gasping, she exclaimed, “Hives! My allergies!” She grabbed her purse and began digging through it. Then she glanced up at him with a frantic look on her face. “Jass, I didn’t bring my allergy meds.”

  “Allergy meds? What allergy meds? You don’t have allergies, LaRae.”

  “Of course I do,” she said, frowning at him. “Look at me. Can’t you see these hives? I’ve always had allergies. I never go anywhere without my prescription. Come on, let’s see if there are some in Laurie’s apartment.”

  She hurried inside. Yikes! She’d forgotten she was the twin with the allergies. LaRae had been the lucky one and never seemed to react to things. How could she cover this up? She’d have to think of something later. Now she just needed her meds.

  What is going on, here? Jass grabbed his overnight case. What was she allergic to? She’d never mentioned being allergic to anything before. When had she gotten a prescription? Why hadn’t she ever mentioned it to him before now?

  He quickened his steps to follow her. She’d already secured the elevator, and was impatiently holding the door open for him when he caught up with her.

  He got in with her and began asking those questions, but she seemed to be having trouble breathing. “Shouldn’t we go to an emergency room, LaRae?”

  She shook her head. “No time!” She walked quickly down the hall to Laurie’s apartment, and impatiently tapped her toe as she waited for him to unlock the door.

  Inside, she dropped her purse on the kitchen table and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Following, Jass watched her open the medicine chest and take out a prescription bottle, then down a pill and grab a paper cup for water to wash it down.

  “LaRae, are you sure it’s okay to take Laurie’s pills?” he asked, picking up the bottle. He read Laurie’s name and the long medical name of the prescription. There was nothing to indicate what the pills were for. “How do you know this is the right medication?”

  “Jass, it says so, right there on the bottle,” she said, filling the tiny cup again and downing the water. “It happened a couple of times before—when I was a teenager.”

  She took off her blouse and surveyed the red welts on her chest, then turned so she could check her back in the mirror. Hives were spreading across her back as well.

  “Damn, but they itch! Don’t worry, the pills work fast. I’ll be all right in a few minutes. I want to lie down.”

  “Of course.” He followed her to the bedroom and watched her lie down on the bed. Gently, he slipped off her shoes and covered her with the light blanket lying at the foot of the bed.

  “Go away, Jass. I’ll be fine in a little while.”

  He eyed her doubtfully. “All right. But I’ll just be out in the other room if you want me, okay?”

  “Fine.”

  He went to the kitchen and fixed coffee, badly shaken. He’d never seen LaRae like this before. Why hadn't she warned him about it?

  He drank some coffee and peeked into the bedroom. She was asleep. She was breathing normally, and the white welts on her face had receded to red, and seemed less prominent now. Every few minutes, he repeated his surveillance, feeling like a spy. Each time, the hives seemed to be lessening.

  Relieved, he made a pot of coffee and began the task of going through Laurie’s desk to close out her business affairs.

  When Laurie awoke a couple hours later, the hives had receded to a dull red rash, looking more like the remnants of measles than the fat welts of a couple of hours earlier.

  She joined him in the kitchen, took down a bright orange mug and poured herself some coffee, eyeing him nervously.

  “Feeling better?” he asked.

  She sat across from him at the kitchen table, sipped her coffee and nodded. “Yes. The itching has stopped. I’m fine now, Jass.”

  “So, would you like
to tell me what’s going on?”

  “What’s going on?” she repeated warily. “What do you mean?”

  “What brought this on? What are you allergic to? Since when do you have allergies?”

  She set down her mug carefully. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve always had allergies. To various foods and medicines.”

  He stared at her shaking his head. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

  “I'm sorry. I guess I think of it as a weakness and don't like to talk about it.”

  “That's silly.”

  Lifting a shoulder, she said, “I thought I'd told you at some time or other. I haven’t had a reaction for years, because I always watch my diet carefully.”

  Jass frowned. “I thought you watched your diet to stay thin.”

  “Well, that, too, like most women.” Laurie grinned. “I did tell you about my mom and dad rushing me to the emergency room one time when I was a little girl?”

  “No.” His voice was very definite.

  She pretended not to notice his tone. “I could barely breathe. They sat me up on a table and gave me a shot. Then I could breathe okay again. I'd eaten lots of strawberries that time.”

  “What caused it this time? You only ate on the plane, and then that stir-fry. It was nothing unusual.”

  “I don’t know, Jass. Maybe this restaurant used MSG, or used lettuce sprayed with sulfites to prevent browning in the salad. Or put something new in the stir-fry like exotic greens.”

  “That’s possible. Did you notice anything like that?”

  “I don’t know. Everything was cut up into unrecognizable pieces.”

  “Oh. Another thing, LaRae. If it’s been a long time since you had a reaction, how did you know what to take? The name on the bottle meant nothing to me.”

  She frowned. “Diphenhydramine? That’s what I’ve always taken. It’s in a lot of over-the-counter medicines, too. Don’t you read labels?”

  “No, I don’t.” His voice was flat and definite. “I never heard of it until today.”

  She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. “I usually carry it in my purse.”

  “I didn't know that.”

  She grinned wryly. “Well, I’d better hang on to this bottle in case it happens again, hadn’t I? Unless you like this new look?”

  He eyed her blotchy face and returned her grin. “No, I sure don’t. You’re right. Keep the pills handy.”

  “Are you feeling up to starting work on the apartment?”

  “Sure.” Dismay surged through her at the idea of actually closing off her life here in San Francisco. She looked away. Of course they had no choice about it. LaRae was gone, and if she wanted to pretend Laurie had died, Laurie’s things must go, too. “Yes, of course. Let’s get started.”

  “Will you look around, to decide whether you will want to ship anything home?”

  Laurie nodded, wondering if she should save some of the rest of her furniture. Would they need any of it at their house in Minnesota? Would it be too expensive or too much trouble to ship? “Do you think we should save any of this furniture, Jass?”

  Jass laughed harshly. “No, I doubt that we have room for any of it, after the buying spree you went on last fall, LaRae. I’m still paying the bills.”

  Ouch! Sore point there. She turned away and said nothing more.

  She sighed. What else did she want to save from her life in San Francisco? Nothing special came to mind. “Only a few things, then, personal stuff, jewelry and clothes. Maybe some books and photos, nothing major, except that computer.” Laurie nodded at her pride and joy on the desk. No way would she leave her computer behind. All her investment information was on it.

  Jass nodded. “Yes, we should keep that. It looks fairly new, and I’m sure we wouldn’t get much for it second hand. Odd that you should say that, though. You never pay any attention to my computer at home. I thought you didn’t know how to use one.”

  “Didn’t know how?” Hadn’t LaRae learned to use a computer? But of course she must have. “I used one back in college, Jass.”

  “Did you?”

  “Of course I did. Everybody had to. Shouldn’t we be going through some of this stuff?”

  They spent the rest of the day sorting the things in Laurie’s apartment, deciding what to keep and ship home, and what to give away to a local charity.

  For supper they opted for eating in, fixing pancakes from a mix they found in the cupboard. Fortunately, there were still some eggs in the refrigerator.

  While Jass did the dishes, Laurie went through some of the things in her desk. She laid aside the checkbook and savings book for closing her accounts the next day and carefully tucked her stock market statements in her purse to deal with later.

  Then she found her work calendar, with notes on various assignments, giving dates and notes on which she’d been paid for. Had she gotten her last modeling check? “Did you pick up the mail?”

  “It’s over there on the table.”

  Laurie went through it and found the check from the modeling agency she’d worked for. Damn that Geri! She’d deliberately shorted her. Well she was not going to get away with it. But how could she handle it without revealing herself?

  Thinking quickly, she said to Jass, “This doesn’t sound right.”

  “What doesn’t?”

  “Laurie’s paycheck stub says it’s for 12 hours, but her calendar says she was owed for 25 hours. That’s quite a difference, at her hourly rate.”

  “Hmmm, you’re right.” Jass read the notes over her shoulder. Maybe we’ll just stop by there tomorrow and ask this Geri about it.”

  “Yes, I think we should. And here’s a bill for repairing her car. It says it’s ready to be picked up.”

  He took it and read it. “I don’t understand,” he said. “This bill is dated the day after your accident. Laurie’s car must have been in the shop before the accident.”

  She shrugged, pretending ignorance. “I can’t remember. Maybe that’s why I rented a car. Maybe she told me hers was in the shop.”

  “Could be.”

  “The bill is from a dealership which, according to the header on their bill, also does repair work. Maybe they’ll sell it for us.”

  Jass met her eyes, a puzzled frown on his face. “That’s a great idea. I’ve never known you to be so capable of managing affairs, LaRae.”

  Anger at his implied criticism of her sister slid through her. Had LaRae really been that helpless, or had he simply always taken over? Recklessly she accused, “You never gave me a chance. I can do all right when I’m on my own.”

  “Perhaps,” he said, regarding her thoughtfully. “Come on. Let’s get some shut-eye. We’ll worry about all this in the morning.”

  “All right.”

  He eyed the couch, and looked at her, remembering her demand to be left alone earlier. “Do you want me to sleep out here?”

  Putting her arm around him, she grinned. “Not likely, Jass. Come on to bed.”

  The next morning her face had returned to normal. They drove together to the modeling agency.

  The discrepancy between her own records and the amount Geri had paid her angered Laurie. As she told Jass, “It’s not the money, it’s the principle of it. Laurie is being cheated. I can at least defend her rights.”

  "Exactly." Jass pulled up to the small modern building. “Did you bring Laurie’s calendar?”

  “Yes, I brought it.” Laurie stared at the white painted office building. It didn’t seem possible she’d worked here for almost five years. She had little desire to return or regrets at leaving here.

  “We’ll show the calendar to this Geri, and see what she has to say. Maybe there’s a simple explanation.”

  They went inside. An odor of perfume and cosmetics permeated the office.

  A young secretary sat at a desk, and looked up with a smile. The smile immediately disappeared. She gaped at Laurie as though seeing a ghost.

  Jass introduced them.

>   “Oh,” she said, her voice flustered. “You’re Laurie’s twin, LaRae. For a minute I thought.... Come in.”

  She spoke on her intercom, then led them to a door down the hall and immediately showed them inside an elegantly appointed office. A wave of expensive perfume wafted over them. “Geri, this is Laurie’s sister, LaRae, and her husband, Jass Markham,” she said, and withdrew.

  A perfectly coiffed woman rose from behind her mahogany desk and held out her hand. “I’m Geri. So nice to meet you.” She eyed LaRae critically, and waved them to a chair. “I was so sorry to lose Laurie. She was one of my best girls.”

  “Thank you,” Laurie murmured, accepting the compliment as though for her sister. She and Jass sat down in the blue plush chairs facing Geri across the polished desk.

  Geri met her gaze. “My, but you were really identical twins, weren’t you? Would you be interested in taking Laurie's place?”

  Jass’ laugh came out as a short bark. “Hardly.”

  Geri raised an eyebrow at him and looked at LaRae for her answer.

  Laurie’s temper rose. His laugh at Geri’s suggestion had been contemptuous. Did he think his wife incapable of handling a job? Just for a moment she considered it, to teach him a lesson for LaRae’s sake, then she remembered Susie, and reluctantly shook her head. “We live in Minnesota, and I have a small daughter to care for.”

  “Oh? I see. Well, then what can I do for you today?”

  “I’m Laurie’s heir, and I received her final check from you in her mail. I also found Laurie’s record of her work here.” She handed Laurie’s calendar and the check to Geri. “I thought perhaps you could explain why the two don’t jibe.”

  Geri took the calendar. She picked up her designer glasses and put them on, then read Laurie’s notes. She frowned at Jass and LaRae for a moment, then said, “Some of these hours must have been included on the previous check.”