The Third Twin Part 13

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Jeannie had chanted, but in her heart she had believed Tammy. It explained everything: the sudden wealth, the equally sudden disappearances, the long absences.

Jeannie never had another of those taunting schoolgirl conversations. Anyone could shut her up by mentioning her father. At the age of nine, it was like being crippled for life. Whenever something was lost at school, she felt they all looked accusingly at her. She never shook the guilty feeling. If another woman looked in her purse and said, "Darn, I thought I had a ten-dollar bill," Jeannie would flush crimson. She became obsessively honest: she would walk a mile to return a cheap ballpoint, terrified that if she kept it the owner would say she was a thief like her father.

Now here he was, standing there in front of her boss, dirty and unshaven and probably broke. "This is Professor Berrington Jones," she said. "Berry, meet my father, Pete Ferrami."

Berrington was gracious. He shook Daddy's hand. "Good to meet you, Mr. Ferrami," he said. "Your daughter is a very special woman."

"Ain't that the truth," Daddy said with a pleased grin.

"Well, Berry, now you know the family secret," she said resignedly. "Daddy was sent to jail, for the third time, on the day I graduated summa c.u.m laude from Princetoa He's been incarcerated for the last eight years."

"It could have been fifteen," Daddy said. "We had guns on that job."

"Thank you for sharing that with us, Dad. It's sure to impress my boss."

Daddy looked hurt and baffled, and she felt a stab of pity for him, despite her resentment. His weakness hurt him as much as it hurt his family. He was one of nature's failures. The fabulous system that reproduced the human race-the profoundly complex DNA mechanism Jeannie studied-was programmed to make every individual a little bit different. It was like a photocopier with a built-in error. Sometimes the result was good: an Einstein, a Louis Armstrong, an Andrew Carnegie. And sometimes it was a Pete Ferrami.

Jeannie had to get rid of Berrington fast. "If you want to make that call, Berry, you can use the phone in the bedroom."

"Uh, it'll keep," he said.

Thank G.o.d for that. "Well, thank you for a very special evening." She held out her hand to shake. "Well, thank you for a very special evening." She held out her hand to shake.

"It was a pleasure. Good night." He shook hands awkwardly and went out.

Jeannie turned to her father. "What happened?"

"I got time off for good behavior. I'm free. And naturally, the first thing I wanted was to see my little girl."

"Right after you went on a three-day drunk." He was so transparently insincere, it was offensive. She felt the familiar rage rise inside her. Why couldn't she have a father like other people's?

He said: "Come on, be nice."

Anger turned into sadness. She had never had a real father and she never would. "Give me that bottle," she said. "I'll make coffee."

Reluctantly he handed her the vodka and she put it back in the freezer. She put water in the coffee maker and turned it on.

"You look older," he said to her. "I see a little gray in your hair."

"Gee, thanks." She put out mugs, cream, and sugar.

"Your mother went gray early."

"I always thought you were the cause of that."

"I went to her place," he said in a tone of mild indignation. "She doesn't live there anymore."

"She's in Bella Vista now."

"That's what the neighbor told me. Mrs. Mendoza. She gave me your address. I don't like to think of your mother in a place like that."

"Then take her out of there!" Jeannie said indignantly. "She's still your wife. Get yourself a job and a decent apartment and start taking care of her."

"You know I can't do that. I never could."

"Then don't criticize me for not doing it."

His tone became wheedling. "I didn't say anything about you, honey. I just said I don't like to think of your mother in an inst.i.tution, that's all."

"I don't like it either, nor does Patty. We're going to try to raise the money to get her out of there." Jeannie felt a sudden surge of emotion, and she had to fight back tears. "G.o.dd.a.m.n it, Daddy, this is tough enough without having you sit there complaining."

"Okay, okay," he said.

Jeannie swallowed hard. I shouldn't let him get to me this way. I shouldn't let him get to me this way. She changed the subject. "What are you going to do now? Do you have any plans?" She changed the subject. "What are you going to do now? Do you have any plans?"

"I'll look around for a while."

He meant he would scout for a place to rob. Jeannie said nothing. He was a thief, and she could not change him.

He coughed. "Maybe you could let me have a few bucks to get me started."

That made her mad again. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do," she said in a tight voice. "I'll let you shower and shave while I put your clothes through the washer. If you keep your hands off that vodka bottle, I'll make you some eggs and toast. You can borrow some pajamas and sleep on my couch. But I'm not giving you any cash. I'm desperately trying to find the money to pay for Mom to stay someplace where they'll treat her like a human being, and I don't have a dollar to spare."

"Okay, sweetie," he said, putting on a martyred air. "I understand."

She looked at him. In the end, when the turmoil of shame and anger and pity died down, all she felt was longing. She wished with all her heart that he could take care of himself, could stay in one place more than a few weeks, could hold down a normal job, could be loving and supportive and stable. She yearned for a father who would be a father. And she knew she would never, ever have her wish. There was a place in her heart for a father, and it would always be empty.

The phone rang.

Jeannie picked it up. "h.e.l.lo."

It was Lisa, sounding upset. "Jeannie, it was him!"

"Who? What?"

"That guy they arrested with you. I picked him out of the lineup. He's the one that raped me. Steven Logan."

"He's the rapist?" Jeannie said incredulously. "Are you sure?"

'There's no doubt, Jeannie," Lisa said. "Oh, my G.o.d, it was horrible seeing his face again. I didn't say anything at first, because he looked different with no hat. Then the detective made them all put on baseball caps, and I knew for certain sure."

"Lisa, it can't be him," Jeannie said.

"What do you mean?"

"His tests are all wrong. And I spent time with him, I have a feeling."

"But I recognized recognized him." Lisa sounded annoyed. him." Lisa sounded annoyed.

"I'm amazed. I can't understand it."

"This spoils your theory, doesn't it? You wanted one twin to be good and the other bad."

"Yes. But one counterexample doesn't disprove a theory."

"I'm sorry if you feel your project is threatened by this."

"That's not the reason I'm saying it's not him." Jeannie sighed. "h.e.l.l, maybe it is. I don't know anymore. Where are you now?"

"At home."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, now that he's locked up in jail."

"He seems so nice."

"They're the worst kind, Mish told me. The ones that seem perfectly normal on the surface are the cleverest and most ruthless, and they enjoy making women suffer."

"My G.o.d."

"I'm going to bed, I'm exhausted. I just wanted to tell you. How was your evening?"

"So-so. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"I still want to go to Richmond with you."

Jeannie had planned to take Lisa to help her interview Dennis Pinker. "Do you feel up to it?"

"Yes, I really want to go on living a normal life. I'm, not sick, I don't need to convalesce."

"Dennis Pinker will probably be Steve Logan's double."

"I know. I can handle it."

"If you're sure."

"I'll call you early."

"Okay. Good night."

Jeannie sat down heavily. Could Steven's engaging nature be no more than a mask? I must be a bad judge of character if that's so, she thought. And maybe a bad scientist too: perhaps all identical twins will turn out to be identically criminal. She sighed.

Her own criminal ancestry sat beside her. "That professor is a nice-looking guy, but he must be older than me!" he said. "You having a thing with him, or what?"

Jeannie wrinkled her nose. "The bathroom's through there, Daddy," she said.

13.

STEVE WAS BACK IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM WITH THE yellow walls. The same two cigarette b.u.t.ts were still in the ashtray. The room had not changed, but he had. Three hours ago he had been a law-abiding citizen, innocent of any crime worse than driving at sixty in a fifty-five zone. Now he was a rapist, arrested and identified by the victim and accused. He was in the justice machine, on the conveyor. He was a criminal. No matter how often he reminded himself that he had done nothing wrong, he could not shake the feeling of worthlessness and ignominy. yellow walls. The same two cigarette b.u.t.ts were still in the ashtray. The room had not changed, but he had. Three hours ago he had been a law-abiding citizen, innocent of any crime worse than driving at sixty in a fifty-five zone. Now he was a rapist, arrested and identified by the victim and accused. He was in the justice machine, on the conveyor. He was a criminal. No matter how often he reminded himself that he had done nothing wrong, he could not shake the feeling of worthlessness and ignominy.

Earlier he had seen the woman detective, Sergeant Delaware. Now the other one, the man, came in, also carrying a blue folder. He was Steve's height but much broader and heavier, with iron gray hair cut short and a bristling mustache. He sat down and took out a pack of cigarettes. Without speaking, he tapped out a cigarette, lit it, and dropped the match in the ashtray. Then he opened the folder. Inside was yet another form. This one was headed DISTRICT COURT OF MARYLAND.

FOR (City/County) The top half was divided into two columns headed COMPLAINANT COMPLAINANT and and DEFENDANT DEFENDANT. A little lower down it said STATEMENT OF CHARGES.

The detective began to fill out the form, still without speaking. When he had written a few words he lifted the white top sheet and checked each of four attached carbon copies: green, yellow, pink, and tan.

Reading upside down, Steve saw that the victim's name was Lisa Margaret Hoxton. "What's she like?" he said.

The detective looked at him. "Shut the f.u.c.k up," he said. He drew on his cigarette and continued writing.

Steve felt demeaned. The man was abusing him and he was powerless to do anything about it. It was another stage in the process of humiliating him, making him feel insignificant and helpless. You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he thought, I'd like to meet you outside of this building, without your d.a.m.n gun.

The detective began filling in the charges. In box number one he wrote Sunday's date, then "at Jones Falls University gymnasium, Balto., MD." Below he wrote, "Rape, 1st degree." In the next box he put the place and date again, then "a.s.sault with intent to rape."

He picked up a continuation sheet and added two more charges: "Battery" and "Sodomy."

"Sodomy?" Steve said in surprise.

"Shut the f.u.c.k up."

Steve was ready to punch him out. This is deliberate, he told himself. The guy wants to provoke me. If I throw a punch at him, he has an excuse to call three other guys in here to hold me down while he kicks the s.h.i.+t out of me. Don't do it, don't do it.

When he finished writing, the detective turned the two forms around and pushed them across the table at Steve. "You're in bad trouble, Steve. You've beaten and raped and sodomized a girl-"

"No, I haven't."

"Shut the f.u.c.k up."

Steve bit his lip and remained silent.

"You're sc.u.m. You're s.h.i.+t. Decent people don't even want to be in the same room as you. You've beaten and raped and sodomized a girl. I know it's not the first time. You've been doing it awhile. You're sly, and you plan, and you've always got away with it in the past. But this time you've been caught. Your victim has identified you. Other witnesses place you near the scene at the time. In an hour or so, just as soon as Sergeant Delaware has gotten a search or seizure warrant from the court commissioner on duty, we're going to take you over to Mercy Hospital and do a blood test and comb through your pubic hair and show that your DNA matches what we found in the victim's v.a.g.i.n.a."

"How long does that take-the DNA test?"

"Shut the f.u.c.k up. You're nailed, Steve. Do you know what's going to happen to you?"

Steve said nothing.

"The penalty for first-degree rape is life imprisonment. You're going to jail, and you know what's going to happen there? You're going to get a taste of what you've been dis.h.i.+ng out. A good-looking youngster like you? No problem. You're going to be beaten and raped and sodomized. You're going to find out how Lisa felt. Only in your case it will go on for years and years and years."

He paused, picked up the cigarette packet, and offered it to Steve.