the Third Twin (1996)

by Ken Follett

  “Well, Per Ericson is dead, and Dennis Pinker and Murray Claud are in jail, but that still leaves three possibilities: Henry King in Boston, Wayne Stattner in New York, and George Dassault—he could be in Buffalo, Sacramento, or Houston, we don’t know which, but we could try them all again. I kept all the phone numbers.”

  “So did I,” Jeannie said.

  Steve said: “Could they get here on time?”

  “We could check flights on CompuServe,” Lisa said. “Where’s your computer, Jeannie?”

  “Stolen.”

  “I have my PowerBook in the trunk, I’ll get it.”

  While she was out, Jeannie said: “We’re going to have to think very hard about how to persuade these guys to fly to Baltimore on short notice. And we’ll have to offer to pay their fares. I’m not sure my credit card will stand it.”

  “I have an American Express card my mom gave me for emergencies. I know she’ll consider this an emergency.”

  “What a great mom,” Jeannie said enviously.

  “That’s the truth.”

  Lisa came back in and plugged her computer into Jeannie’s modem line.

  “Wait a minute,” Jeannie said. “Let’s get organized.”

  58

  JEANNIE WROTE THE PRESS RELEASE, LISA ACCESSED WorldSpan Travelshopper and checked flights, and Steve got the Yellow Pages and started calling all the major hotels to say: “Do you have a press conference scheduled tomorrow for Genetico Inc. or Landsmann?”

  After six tries it occurred to him that the press conference did not have to take place in a hotel. It could be held in a restaurant or a more exotic location such as on board a ship; or they might have a big enough room at Genetico headquarters, just north of the city. But on his seventh call a helpful desk clerk said: “Yes, that’s in the Regency Room at noon, sir.”

  “Great!” Steve said. Jeannie looked questioningly at him, and Steve grinned and made a thumbs-up sign. “Could I reserve a room for tonight, please?”

  “I’ll connect you with reservations. Please hold on for one moment.”

  He booked a room, paying with his mother’s American Express card. As he hung up, Lisa said: “There are three flights that would get Henry King here on time, all US Air. They leave at six-twenty, seven-forty, and nine forty-five. Seats are available on all of them.”

  “Book a seat on the nine forty-five,” Jeannie said.

  Steve passed Lisa the credit card and she tapped in the details.

  Jeannie said: “I still don’t know how to persuade him to come.”

  “Did you say he’s a student, working in a bar?” Steve said. “Yeah.”

  “He needs money. Let me try something. What’s his number?”

  Jeannie gave it to him. “He’s called Hank,” she said.

  Steve called the number. No one answered the phone. He shook his head disappointedly. “Nobody home,” he said.

  Jeannie looked downcast for a moment, then she snapped her fingers. “Maybe he’s working at that bar.” She gave Steve the number and he dialed it.

  The phone was answered by a man with a Hispanic accent. “The Blue Note.”

  “May I speak to Hank?”

  “He’s supposed to be working, you know?” the man said irritably.

  Steve grinned at Jeannie and mouthed He’s there! “It’s very important, I won’t keep him long.”

  A minute later a voice just like Steve’s own came down the line. “Yeah, who’s this?”

  “Hi, Hank, my name is Steve Logan, and we have something in common.”

  “Are you selling something?”

  “Your mother and mine both received treatment at a place called the Aventine Clinic before we were born. You can check that with her.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “To cut a long story short, I’m suing the clinic for ten million dollars and I’d like you to join in the suit with me.”

  There was a thoughtful pause. “I don’t know if you’re for real or not, buddy, but either way I don’t have the money for a lawsuit.”

  “I’ll pay all the legal costs. I don’t want your money.”

  “So why are you calling me?”

  “Because my case would be strengthened by having you on board.”

  “You better write me with the details—”

  “That’s the problem. I need you to be here in Baltimore, at the Stouffer Hotel, tomorrow at noon. I’m holding a press conference ahead of my lawsuit and I want you to appear.”

  “Who wants to go to Baltimore? Like, it’s not Honolulu.”

  Get serious, asshole. “You have a reservation on the US Air flight out of Logan at nine forty-five. Your ticket is paid for, you can check with the airline. Just pick it up at the airport.”

  “You’re offering to split ten million dollars with me?”

  “Oh, no. You get your own ten million.”

  “What are you suing them for?”

  “Breach of implied contract by fraud.”

  “I’m a business student. Isn’t there a statute of limitations on that? Anything that happened twenty-three years ago—”

  “There is a statute of limitations, but it runs from the time of discovery of the fraud. Which in this case was last week.”

  In the background, a Hispanic voice shouted: “Hey, Hank, you got about a hundred customers waiting!”

  Hank said into the phone: “You’re beginning to sound a little more convincing.”

  “Does that mean you’ll come?”

  “Hell, no. It means I’ll think about it after I get off work tonight. Now I have to serve drinks.”

  “You can reach me at the hotel,” Steve said, but he was too late: Hank had hung up.

  Jeannie and Lisa were staring at him.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said frustratedly. “I don’t know if I convinced him or not.”

  Lisa said: “We’ll just have to wait and see if he shows up.”

  “What does Wayne Stattner do for a living?”

  “He owns nightclubs. He probably already has ten million dollars.”

  “Then we’ll have to pique his curiosity. Do you have a number?”

  “Yes.”

  Steve called it, and got an answering machine. “Hi, Wayne, my name is Steve Logan and you may notice that my voice sounds exactly like yours. That’s because, believe it or not, we are identical. I’m six feet two, a hundred and ninety pounds, and I look exactly like you except for hair color. Some other things we probably have in common: I’m allergic to macadamia nuts, I have no nails on my little toes, and when I’m thinking I scratch the back of my left hand with the fingers of my right. Now here’s the kicker: We’re not twins. There are several of us. One committed a crime at Jones Falls University last Sunday—that’s why you got a visit from the Baltimore police yesterday. And we’re meeting tomorrow at the Stouffer Hotel in Baltimore at noon. This is weird, Wayne, but I swear to you it’s all true. Call me or Dr. Jean Ferrami at the hotel, or just show up. It will be interesting.” He hung up and looked at Jeannie. “What do you think?”

  She shrugged. “He’s a man who can afford to follow his whims. He may be intrigued. And a nightclub owner probably doesn’t have anything pressing to do on a Monday morning. On the other hand, I wouldn’t take a plane on the strength of a phone message like that.”

  The phone rang and Steve picked it up automatically. “Hello?”

  “Can I speak to Steve?” The voice was unfamiliar.

  “This is Steve.”

  “This is Uncle Preston. I’m putting your dad on.”

  Steve did not have an uncle Preston. He frowned, mystified. A moment later another voice came on the line. “Is anyone with you, is she listening?”

  Suddenly Steve understood. Mystification gave way to shock. He could not think what to do. “Hold on a moment,” he said. He covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “I think this is Berrington Jones!” he said to Jeannie. “And he thinks I’m Harvey. What the hell do I do?”

  Jeann
ie spread her hands in a gesture of bewilderment. “Improvise,” she said.

  “Gee, thanks.” Steve put the phone to his ear. “Uh, yeah, this is Steve,” he said.

  “What’s going on? You’ve been there hours!”

  “I guess so.…”

  “Have you found out what Jeannie’s planning to do?”

  “Uh … yes, I have.”

  “Then get back here and tell us!”

  “Okay.”

  “You’re not trapped in any way, are you?”

  “No.”

  “I suppose you’ve been fucking her.”

  “You could say that.”

  “Get your goddamn pants on and come home! We’re all in bad trouble!”

  “Okay.”

  “Now, when you hang up, you’re going to say it was someone who works for your parents’ lawyer, calling to say you’re needed in D.C. as soon as possible. That’s your cover story, and it gives you a reason to hurry. Okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

  Berrington hung up and Steve did likewise.

  Steve’s shoulders slumped with relief. “I think I fooled him.”

  Jeannie said: “What did he say?”

  “It was very interesting. It seems Harvey was sent here to find out what your intentions are. They’re worried about what you might do with the knowledge you have.”

  “They? Who?”

  “Berrington and someone called Uncle Preston.”

  “Preston Barck, president of Genetico. So why did they call?”

  “Impatience. Berrington got fed up with waiting. I guess he and his cronies are waiting to find out so they can figure out how to respond. He told me to pretend I have to go to Washington to see the lawyer, then get back to his house as fast as I can.”

  Jeannie looked worried. “This is very bad. When Harvey doesn’t show up, Berrington will know something’s wrong. The Genetico people will be forewarned. There’s no telling what they might do: move the press conference to another location, step up security so we can’t get in, even cancel the event altogether and sign the papers in a lawyer’s office.”

  Steve frowned, staring at the floor. He had an idea, but he hesitated to propose it. Finally he said: “Then Harvey must go home.”

  Jeannie shook her head. “He’s been lying there on the floor listening to us. He’ll tell them everything.”

  “Not if I go in his place.”

  Jeannie and Lisa stared at him, aghast.

  He had not worked it out; he was thinking aloud. “I’ll go to Berrington’s home and pretend to be Harvey. I’ll reassure them.”

  “Steve, it’s so hazardous. You don’t know anything about their life. You wouldn’t even know where the bathroom was.”

  “If Harvey could fool you, I guess I could fool Berrington.” Steve tried to sound more confident than he felt.

  “Harvey didn’t fool me. I found him out.”

  “He fooled you for a while.”

  “Less than an hour. You’d have to stay there longer.”

  “Not much. Harvey normally returns to Philadelphia on Sunday evening, we know that. I’ll be back here by midnight.”

  “But Berrington is Harvey’s father. It’s impossible.”

  He knew she was right. “Do you have a better idea?”

  Jeannie thought for a long moment, then she said: “No.”

  59

  STEVE PUT ON HARVEY’S BLUE CORDUROY PANTS AND LIGHT blue sweater and drove Harvey’s Datsun to Roland Park. It was dark by the time he reached Berrington’s house. He parked behind a silver Lincoln Town Car and sat for a moment, summoning his courage.

  He had to get this right. If he was found out, Jeannie was finished. But he had nothing to go on, no information to work with. He would have to be alert to every hint, sensitive to expectations, relaxed about errors. He wished he were an actor.

  What mood is Harvey in? he asked himself. He’s been summoned rather peremptorily by his father. He might have been enjoying himself with Jeannie. I think he’s in a bad mood.

  He sighed. He could not postpone the dread moment any longer. He got out of the car and went to the front door.

  There were several keys on Harvey’s key ring. He peered at the lock on Berrington’s front door. He thought he could make out the word “Yale.” He looked for a Yale key. Before he could find one, Berrington opened the door. “What are you standing there for?” he said irritably. “Get in here.”

  Steve stepped inside.

  “Go in the den,” Berrington said.

  Where the fuck is the den? Steve fought down a wave of panic. The house was a standard suburban ranch-style split-level built in the seventies. To his left, through an arch, he could see a living room with formal furniture and no one in it. Straight ahead was a passage with several doors off it which, he guessed, led to bedrooms. On his right were two closed doors. One of them was probably the den—but which?

  “Go in the den,” Berrington repeated, as if he might not have heard the first time.

  Steve picked a door at random.

  He had chosen the wrong door. This was a bathroom.

  Berrington looked at him with an irritated frown.

  Steve hesitated for a moment, then remembered he was supposed to be in a bad temper. “I can take a piss first, can’t I?” he snapped. Without waiting for an answer he went in and closed the door.

  It was a guest bathroom, with just a toilet and a hand basin. He leaned on the edge of the basin and looked in the mirror. “You have to be crazy,” he said to his reflection.

  He flushed the toilet, washed his hands, and went out.

  He could hear male voices from farther inside the house. He opened the door next to the bathroom: this was the den. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and took a swift look around. There was a desk, a wood file cabinet, lots of bookshelves, a TV, and some couches. On the desk was a photograph of an attractive blond woman of about forty, wearing clothes that looked about twenty years out-of-date, holding a baby. Berrington’s ex-wife? My “mother”? He opened the desk drawers one after the other, glancing inside, then he looked in the file cabinet. There was a bottle of Springbank scotch and some crystal glasses in the bottom drawer, almost as if they were meant to be concealed. Perhaps it was a whim of Berrington’s. As he closed the drawer, the room door opened and Berrington came in, followed by two men. Steve recognized Senator Proust, whose large bald head and big nose were familiar from the TV news. He presumed the quiet, black-haired man was “Uncle” Preston Barck, the president of Genetico.

  He remembered to be bad tempered. “You needn’t have dragged me back here in such a goddamn hurry.”

  Berrington adopted a conciliatory tone. “We just finished supper,” he said. “You want something? Marianne can make up a tray.”

  Steve’s stomach was knotted with tension, but Harvey would surely have wanted supper, and Steve needed to appear as natural as possible, so he pretended to soften and said: “Sure, I’ll have something.”

  Berrington shouted: “Marianne!” After a moment a pretty, nervous-looking black girl appeared at the door. “Bring Harvey some supper on a tray,” Berrington said.

  “Right away, monsieur,” she said quietly.

  Steve watched her go, noting that she went through the living room on her way to the kitchen. Presumably the dining room was also that way, unless they ate in the kitchen.

  Proust leaned forward and said: “Well, my boy, what did you learn?”

  Steve had invented a fictional plan of action for Jeannie. “I guess you can relax, for the moment at least,” he said. “Jeannie Ferrami intends to take legal action against Jones Falls University for wrongful dismissal. She thinks she will be able to cite the existence of the clones during that proceeding. Until then she has no plans for publicity. She has an appointment with a lawyer on Wednesday.”

  The three older men looked relieved. Proust said: “A wrongful dismissal suit. That will take at least a year. We have pl
enty of time to do what we need to do.”

  Fooled you, you malevolent old bastards.

  Berrington said: “What about the Lisa Hoxton case?”

  “She knows who I am, and she thinks I did it, but she has no proof. She will probably accuse me, but I believe it will be seen as a wild accusation by a vengeful former employee.”

  He nodded. “That’s good, but you still need a lawyer. You know what we’ll do. You’ll stay here tonight—it’s too late to drive back to Philadelphia anyway.”

  I don’t want to spend the night here! “I don’t know.…”

  “You’ll come to the press conference with me in the morning, and right afterward we’ll go see Henry Quinn.”

  It’s too risky!

  Don’t panic, think.

  If I stayed here, I would know exactly what these three creeps are up to at any moment. That’s worth a degree of risk I guess nothing much can happen while I’m asleep. I could sneak a call to Jeannie, to let her know what’s going on. He made a split-second decision. “Okay,” he said.

  Proust said: “Well, we’ve been sitting here worrying ourselves to death for nothing.”

  Barck was not quite so quick to accept the good news. He said suspiciously: “It didn’t occur to the girl to try and sabotage the takeover of Genetico?”

  “She’s smart, but I don’t think she’s business minded,” Steve said.

  Proust winked and said: “What’s she like in the sack, eh?”

  “Feisty,” Steve said with a grin, and Proust roared with laughter.

  Marianne came in with a tray: sliced chicken, a salad with onions, bread, and a Budweiser. Steve smiled at her. “Thank you,” he said. “This looks great.”

  She gave him a startled look, and Steve realized Harvey probably did not say “thank you” very often. He caught the eye of Preston Barck, who was frowning. Careful, careful! Don’t spoil it now, you’ve got them where you want them. All you have to do is get through the next hour or so until bedtime.

  He started to eat. Barck said: “Do you remember me taking you to the Plaza hotel in New York for lunch when you were ten years old?’

  Steve was about to say “Yes” when he caught the trace of a puzzled frown on Berrington’s face. Is this a test? Is Barck suspicious? “The Plaza?” he said with a frown. Either way, he could give only one answer. “Gee, Uncle Preston, I don’t remember that.”