Chapter 10 - Julian’s Replacement
Julian did not laugh when Elena told him.
He sat in the mansion library holding a glass of whiskey he never drank.
“Another identity?”
“That’s what Raymond said.”
“Where?”
“He doesn’t know.”
Julian looked at Agent Sloan.
“And you believe him?”
“No,” Sloan said. “But we verified Northstar maintained duplicate identity files.”
Julian stared at the floor.
“I’m thirty-seven.”
Elena almost smiled.
“I know.”
“Who replaces a thirty-seven-year-old man?”
“Someone who can access your assets after an apparent death.”
Julian looked up.
The arrogance that had defined him days earlier had finally disappeared.
“What assets? I stole from Dad because I was broke.”
Samuel entered carrying a folder.
“That is exactly why someone may have encouraged you to borrow.”
Julian stood.
“What?”
Samuel opened the folder.
“Your development deal.”
Julian’s face hardened.
“Crescent Ridge?”
“Yes.”
“What about it?”
“The investment company funding your project is owned through three shell entities.”
Elena already knew the answer.
“Northstar.”
Samuel nodded.
Julian stared.
“No.”
“They gave you sixteen million in credit exposure despite a history no legitimate lender would accept.”
Julian sat again.
Serena had once described Julian as someone who panicked.
Elena saw it now.
His leg bounced.
His breathing shortened.
“They wanted me in debt.”
Samuel nodded.
“Why?”
Agent Hale answered.
“Control.”
Julian looked sick.
“If they call the loans?”
“You lose everything.”
“I already lost everything.”
Elena looked at him.
“No. You still have choices.”
Julian laughed bitterly.
“You sound like Dad.”
“He left you four million dollars if you cooperate.”
“That doesn’t erase what I did.”
“No.”
He looked at her bruised cheek.
“I know.”
For the first time, Julian did not apologize with excuses.
“I hit you beside Dad’s coffin.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you stole my inheritance.”
“You thought that justified it?”
“No.”
Elena said nothing.
Julian looked down.
“I’m sorry.”
She did not forgive him.
Not then.
But she believed he meant it.
That mattered more than she expected.
The DNA results arrived that afternoon.
Caroline Marsh was the biological mother of both Elena Vance and Claire Marsh.
Elena and Claire were identical twins.
Caroline cried when told.
Claire did not.
She simply asked to see Elena.
The sisters met in Victor’s study.
Claire looked around slowly.
“So this is where you grew up.”
“Yes.”
“Nice.”
Elena almost laughed.
“That sounded judgmental.”
“It was.”
For a second they looked at each other.
Then both smiled.
The resemblance became even stranger.
Claire sat.
“Raymond told you?”
“Some.”
“Most of what he knows is ten years outdated.”
“What do you know?”
Claire looked toward the closed door.
“I grew up at Bellweather until I was twelve.”
“What happened there?”
“They taught us.”
“What?”
“Families.”
Elena waited.
“Names. Habits. Signatures. School records. Medical history. Sometimes languages.”
“For replacement?”
Claire nodded.
“How many children?”
“Dozens while I was there.”
Elena’s stomach turned.
“Did they all have assigned identities?”
“No. Some were reserves.”
“That’s what they called you?”
“Yes.”
Claire’s expression remained calm, but her fingers had tightened around one another.
“I was Reserve A-17.”
Elena’s voice softened.
“They trained you to become me.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know I existed?”
“Every day.”
That hurt.
Claire looked at the family photograph on the wall.
“I knew your favorite food. Your childhood nickname. The name of your first dog. I knew Victor took you to Cape May when you were nine.”
Elena stared.
“I hated you.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
Claire looked at her.
“I was punished whenever I failed to remember something about your life.”
Elena felt shame even though she had done nothing.
“At fourteen, they told me you might be removed soon.”
“Removed?”
“Killed.”
Elena swallowed.
“What stopped them?”
“Victor.”
“How?”
“He found Bellweather.”
Elena froze.
“He came there?”
Claire nodded.
“Once.”
“Did you meet him?”
“Yes.”
Her voice changed.
“He stood outside my room for nearly twenty minutes.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
Elena tried to imagine her father seeing the girl who looked exactly like his daughter.
Claire continued.
“Two weeks later the facility was emptied.”
“So Dad saved you?”
“Partly.”
“What happened to you?”
“I was moved under another identity.”
“By Northstar?”
“Yes.”
“And you stayed with them?”
Claire laughed softly.
“Children don’t resign from organizations that own their birth certificates.”
Elena looked down.
“What do they want now?”
Claire’s face hardened.
“Victor’s evidence.”
“The ledger?”
“More than that.”
“What?”
Claire looked toward the steel safe.
“He found the Continuity Register.”
Samuel, who had entered quietly, stopped.
“What is that?”
Claire looked at him.
“A master index.”
“Of people?”
“Of replacements.”
“How many?”
Claire did not answer immediately.
Then:
“Thousands.”
The room became silent.
Julian entered from the hallway.
Claire looked at him.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
Julian asked.
Claire stood.
She moved closer.
Then touched a small scar near Julian’s right ear.
He recoiled.
“What the hell?”
Claire whispered, “You’re not supposed to have that scar.”
Julian stared.
“I’ve had it since I was a kid.”
“No.”
May you like
Claire turned toward Elena.
“The Julian in my records didn’t.”
