Chapter 9 - The Other Elena
The woman refused to speak.
She sat inside an interview room at the Ashford police station wearing borrowed gray sweatpants and a black sweatshirt.
Her resemblance to Elena was not perfect.
But it was close enough to make Elena feel physically ill.
Same eyes.
Same jaw.
Same dark hair.
The woman was thinner.
There was a small scar above her eyebrow.
She looked thirty-four.
Exactly Elena’s age.
Raymond sat in a separate cell.
Agent Sloan placed photographs between them.
“This woman had a passport issued six years ago under your identity.”
Elena stared through the one-way glass.
“How?”
“Authentic supporting documents.”
“Meaning?”
“Someone inside state or federal systems maintained two versions of you.”
Samuel stood beside her.
“B-17.”
Elena looked at him.
“You think she’s Caroline’s other twin.”
“It would explain the resemblance.”
Caroline had remained at a secure residence.
She had refused to view the woman until DNA testing could be completed.
Elena understood.
She was barely holding herself together too.
Agent Hale entered.
“Raymond wants to talk.”
Elena turned.
“To who?”
“You.”
“No.”
Samuel said, “Elena.”
“No. He lied to my father for twenty-four years. He helped steal me from a hospital.”
“He may know who she is.”
Elena looked through the glass again.
The woman suddenly raised her head.
As if sensing Elena behind the mirror.
Their eyes aligned.
Elena’s skin prickled.
“Fine.”
Raymond looked older in custody.
Without his expensive suit jacket, without family members agreeing with everything he said, he seemed smaller.
Elena sat opposite him.
“You hit your brother’s limit,” she said.
Raymond gave a tired smile.
“You always had Victor’s mouth.”
“I’m apparently not his daughter.”
“I didn’t say biology.”
Elena’s anger sharpened.
“Who is she?”
Raymond looked at the camera.
“Turn it off.”
“No.”
“Then I say nothing.”
Elena stood.
“Enjoy prison.”
“Her name is Claire.”
Elena stopped.
Raymond smiled faintly.
“Claire Marsh.”
Caroline’s surname.
“Is she my sister?”
“Yes.”
The word struck harder than expected.
“Twin?”
“Yes.”
Elena sat again.
“Why does she have my identity?”
“Because she was supposed to become you.”
Elena stared.
“What does that mean?”
“Northstar maintained replacement records.”
“For what?”
“In case Victor discovered the switch.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It made perfect sense to Keller.”
“Explain.”
Raymond rubbed his face.
“Your father started asking questions when you were ten. Keller panicked. Northstar feared Victor would expose the hospital system.”
“So?”
“They planned to replace you.”
Elena went cold.
“With Claire?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“An accident.”
She understood before he finished.
“You were going to kill me.”
Raymond looked away.
“You were ten.”
Elena’s hands curled.
“And put my twin in my place?”
“She had been raised with enough information to imitate parts of your life.”
Elena could barely process it.
“Raised where?”
“Bellweather.”
The closed children’s institute.
“Why didn’t it happen?”
“Victor found out.”
Elena froze.
“He knew Claire existed?”
“Eventually.”
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
Raymond laughed bitterly.
“Because Victor Vance believed information was a weapon and he never handed anyone a loaded gun.”
“You hated him.”
“I envied him.”
Raymond looked at the table.
“Our father chose Victor for everything. Business. Trusts. Family reputation.”
“So you built Northstar?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Raymond’s expression changed.
“Keller.”
“Thomas Keller?”
“He recruited me.”
“For money?”
“At first.”
“And later?”
“Power.”
Raymond spoke with the detached shame of a man who had repeated his excuses too often.
“People came to us with problems. Wealthy families with sick heirs. Politicians with children born from affairs. Couples desperate for adoption. Hospitals facing lawsuits.”
“And you moved babies.”
“We solved problems.”
Elena slammed her palm on the table.
“You stole children.”
Raymond flinched.
“Yes.”
The admission came quietly.
Elena sat back.
“Where is Keller?”
Raymond smiled strangely.
“You still think Keller is one man.”
Elena stared.
“What does that mean?”
“Thomas Keller became a name.”
“For who?”
“For whoever ran continuity operations.”
“So the man in Dad’s photograph?”
“First Keller I knew.”
“How many?”
Raymond looked toward the mirror.
“At least four.”
Elena felt suddenly tired.
“Why were you running with Claire?”
“I wasn’t.”
“What?”
“She found me.”
“Why?”
Raymond leaned forward.
“Because Northstar ordered her to kill you.”
Elena held his gaze.
“Did she agree?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she came to me asking how to save you.”
Elena looked through the glass toward the silent woman.
Raymond continued.
“She has been trying to escape Northstar for twelve years.”
“Then why use my identity?”
“She didn’t choose it.”
“Who did?”
May you like
Raymond’s voice became almost a whisper.
“The same people who have another identity ready for Julian.”
