In Harm's Way (Heroes of Quantico Series, Book 3) (24 page)

"Perhaps it will be with both."

"I think it will. I'm more convinced than ever that Megan is
safe, and that I'll hold her in my arms again soon. I don't think
God brought Rachel back into my life as a substitute, but as a
bonus"

"Hang on to that hope, honey." A tear spilled out of Jeannette's
eye, and she wiped it away with shaky fingers. "Now call that
FBI man and go meet your sister"

Nick's phone was ringing as he strode into his office late Tuesday
afternoon after spending three hours on the tarmac at O'Hare
thanks to an ice storm. For once he hadn't minded the delay. He'd
been too busy sorting through theories that might explain the
uncanny resemblance shared by Rachel, Rebecca, and Rachel's
mother. The most prominent one was that the three women
were related in some way. And he was determined to figure
out how.

But the mystery was cleared up without any further effort
on his part when he picked up the phone, gave his standard
greeting, and found Rebecca O'Neil on the other end. As he
listened to her story, he felt relief rather than surprise. His instincts were usually sound, but he'd been starting to think he
was off base on his hunches in this case. Instead, he'd been right
on the money.

Rebecca concluded with a request. "Since you've already
had dealings with Rachel, I wondered if you'd be comfortable
breaking the news to her and seeing if she'd be willing to get
together with me. I can drive down as early as tomorrow if
that works with her schedule. I'm anxious to meet her and
to thank her for following up on those vibes she felt about
the doll:"

"I'll be happy to arrange it. May I call you later tonight?"

"That would be fine. Thank you"

As Nick hung up, Mark stuck his head in the door to the
cube. "How was the trip to Chicago?"

Nick turned toward him. "Eventful:"

"Yeah? How so?" Mark stifled a yawn and leaned against the
doorway.

"Rebecca O'Neil and Rachel Sutton are identical twins"

"What!" Mark straightened up, his posture morphing from
relaxed to rapt in a heartbeat.

"Amazing, isn't it? I knew Rebecca's photo in the file last
night looked familiar. And when I met her this morning, she
shared some of Rachel's gestures. That's when I realized she
bore a striking resemblance to a photo Rachel has of her
mother."

A frown creased Mark's brow. "But I've seen pictures of Rebecca O'Neil. And I've met Rachel. They don't look alike. How
can they be identical twins?"

"According to Rebecca, Rachel was badly injured in the accident that killed their mother. Surgery could have altered her
appearance. Rachel may be able to fill in those blanks."

"I wonder if their relationship also explains the vibes she's
been getting?"

"That's my guess. Do you think Emily could shed any light
on the situation?"

"Let's ring her and find out. The conference room is free.
Want to duck in there?"

"Yeah. Give me a minute, though. I just walked in the door
and I need to check messages"

"Don't rush. She may be with a patient. I'll buzz you when
I get her"

Ten minutes later, Mark summoned him to the conference
room. As Nick walked in and closed the door behind him, Mark
switched the call to speaker. "Nick's here, Em"

"Hi, Nick. Mark just filled me in. You've been dipping into some unusual stuff on this case. Parapsychology. Psychometry.
Now twin telepathy'

"Is there such a thing?"

"If you're asking whether there's absolute scientific proof for
it, no. But there's a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting some
identical twins have it"

"Even ones who don't know of each other's existence and have
been separated since they were nine months old?"

"Yes. It's a fascinating subject. There are cases in which one
twin is injured and the other feels a physical sensation or pain
in that part of the body. Identical twins have also been known
to have similar jobs, cars, pets, and favorite foods. There's even
a theory that identical twins share a unique language when
they're young"

"Rebecca and Rachel do share gestures, Nick offered. "And
they're both into music and art. What about the telepathy part
you mentioned? Could it account for the feelings Rachel has
been having?"

"I still think Rachel's reaction to the doll relates to past
experience;' Emily said. "Perhaps deep in her subconscious
she has a tactile memory of holding it at the time of the accident. As for the uneasy feelings that began the day her sister's daughter was kidnapped, they could be related to twin
telepathy-if you accept the theory that it exists. In general, a
sense of shared experience would involve some very traumatic,
highly emotional incident, and the kidnapping certainly fits
that description:"

"Rebecca has asked to meet Rachel. Do you think there's any
chance, once they meet, that Rachel might be able to offer us
any more insights into this case?"

"I wish I could say yes. But her telepathy, if she has it, is related
to her sister's experiences, not to her niece's"

"Okay. Thanks, Emily."

"Glad to help, Nick. Mark, are you still planning to pick up
pizza for dinner?"

He grinned. "Have I ever forgotten anything food related?"

"Good point"

"See you later, Em" He severed the connection, leaned back,
and regarded Nick. "Interesting stuff."

"True. But unless Emily is wrong about the telepathy thing
not extending beyond Rachel and Rebecca, it's not going to help
us find Megan"

Rachel had just shoved her bare feet into her fuzzy pink slippers and picked up a load of laundry when the doorbell rang.

Pausing at the head of the basement stairs, she checked her
watch. Almost nine o'clock. Not a good sign. Maybe it was that
pushy reporter from St. Louis Scene. Or someone who'd read
the article and wanted her to communicate with some longlost relative.

Neither option was appealing.

She considered ignoring the bell, but when it rang againtwice in a row-she decided to check it out. Dumping the laundry at the head of the stairs, she edged over to the door and
quietly put her eye to the peephole.

Nick stood on the other side, collar turned up against the
bitter cold, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his topcoat.

A warm rush of pleasure swept over her. After their brief
conversation yesterday, she hadn't expected to see or hear from
him again until the O'Neil case was solved. But perhaps his
trip to Chicago had resulted in a lead that had helped wrap
things up. Meaning they could pick up where they'd left off
last weekend.

That thought sent a tingle up her spine and put a smile on
her face.

Rubbing her palms against the worn denim of her jeans, she
pulled open the door. "Hi. This is a nice surprise."

He smiled, and the warmth in his blue eyes told her he was
glad to be there. But the crinkles at the corners spoke of weariness.

"Does that mean I can come in?"

Stepping back, Rachel created space for him in the tiny corner of her living room that served as a foyer. "Let me take your
coat:"

"Thanks" He shrugged it off and handed it to her.

The wool fabric was frosty to the touch, and she held it away
from her as she slipped the sleeves onto a hanger and stowed it
in her small closet. A shiver rippled through her, and she gave
him a rueful shrug as he cocked an eyebrow. "The cold goes
right through me. I should live in the tropics. White sand, palm
trees, warm breezes ... and no more cold feet:"

"You seem to have found a solution for that problem:" One
side of his mouth hitched up as he directed his attention to her
slippers.

She wiggled her toes and grinned. "They may not be fashionable, but they do the trick"

"I think they're cute:'

Flushing, she decided it was time to change the subject. "Tell
me about Chicago. Since you're here, can I assume you have
good news on the case?" She snuggled into one corner of the
couch, her feet tucked under her.

"I do have news. But it's not directly related to the case'

Some nuance in his tone put her on alert. "What kind of
news?"

"I may have an explanation for the uneasy feeling you've had
since the O'Neil baby was kidnapped'

That snagged her attention. "Tell me, please. I've wracked my
brain for answers and come up with zero:"

"It has to do with Rebecca O'Neil:" He walked over to the
mantel and retrieved the photo of her mother, then took a seat
beside her. "As she herself just discovered earlier today, the two
of you share a very special bond. Rebecca's mother told her this
afternoon that she was adopted thirty-five years ago. And that
she had an identical twin sister who was badly injured in the
car accident that killed their mother. A sister who was put into
the care of the foster system" His gaze locked on hers. "You and
Rebecca O'Neil are twins, Rachel:"

Seconds ticked by as Rachel stared at Nick. The only sounds
in the room were the crackle of the fire, the hiss of water vaporizing from the damp wood, and the sudden collapse of spent
logs as they disintegrated, sending embers flying.

I have a sister. A twin sister.

The words echoed in Rachel's mind. She understood Nick's
message but couldn't quite absorb it. All her life she'd thought
she was alone. That there was no one in the world she could call
on in time of need, nor anyone to share special occasions with.
So many solitary Thanksgivings and Christmases and birthdays
had passed. And all along, she'd had a sister-a sister!-who
could have been part of her life.

Her stomach twisted into a knot at the injustice of it.

"Rachel? Are you okay?"

Nick's gentle question pulled her back to the present. His
long, lean fingers rested on her arm, his tender touch reassuring
yet strong, offering support if she needed it. When she lifted
her head, she found his discerning blue eyes fixed on her, and
a slight frown wrinkled his brow.

"Shock doesn't even begin to describe how I feel" Her unsteady reply came out in a whisper. "How could Rebecca's mother
keep this a secret all these years?"

"I think Rebecca is struggling with the same question:" He set
the photo on the coffee table. "She bears a strong resemblance
to your mother, by the way. But while the two of you share some
characteristics, you look nothing alike"

"I've had a lot of facial reconstruction. The accident did a
number on my face as well as my leg" She responded automatically, still grappling with the emotional tsunami.

"That's what I heard. Rebecca has a photo of the two of you
with your mother, and you were identical back then. That photo
revealed another interesting fact. The Raggedy Ann doll belonged to you, Rachel. You had it with you in the car when
the accident happened. Emily thinks that's why you had such a
strong reaction to it"

Rachel gave a slow nod, forcing herself to focus on the conversation. "I guess I can buy that. I might have a memory of that
event on some subliminal level. But what about this uneasiness?
Did she have an explanation for that too?"

"Nothing the world of science recognizes. But she said there
have been many recorded cases of telepathy between identical
twins. Even between those who've been separated since birth.
And you and Rebecca had nine months together before you were
split. Rebecca's mother told her she often had headaches as a
toddler, with no physiological basis. And that she occasionally
limped, again for no obvious reason. It could have been related
to your surgeries:"

"This is bizarre"

"I agree. But the anecdotal evidence does suggest you two
share some sort of special link" He leaned closer and laced his
fingers with hers. "She'd like to meet you, Rachel. As soon as
possible. She's offered to drive down tomorrow if you're willing
to see her."

"Of course I am!" She might be confused about a lot of things,
but the decision about whether to meet her sister wasn't one of them. "I have a family, Nick! A family." She repeated the words,
her voice filled with wonder. "I feel like you probably felt when
Dan Foley took you under his wing and gave you a sense of
belonging. It's an incredible gift"