“What have you been up to, Ace?” Pippa asks, with a half-smile on her face, as I take the certificate from Ace’s hand and place it into hers.
He looks up to her, so he doesn’t hesitate to come clean. The whole story comes out, ending with, “My aunt came to see Dad, and he won’t let me meet her.”
Pippa’s Secret Service background means she’s as cautious as I am. “Your dad’s got a point, Ace. Any system can be hacked, as you well know.” She pauses to wink at him. “Though I’m grasping for reasons why you should be targeted, if the DNA was faked.” Her eyes are now firmly on me. I shake my head. I’ve got no real justification, just a cautious gut feeling.
She studies the document, then starts clicking keys. It’s like watching a concert pianist. The way her fingers dance so quickly,I can hardly follow them. And as for the ever-changing screens, the flickering from one to the next hurts my eyes.
Ace is leaning forward, engrossed in what she’s doing. That the end result is to his benefit is evident from his spreading smile. I don’t really need Pippa to say the words, but she does anyway.
“It’s genuine, Freak. And there’s more. Antoinette Mordrake was born a twin. Her sister’s name is, or was, Josephine. Josephine was older by just seven minutes.”
“That’s my mom,” Ace interrupts, excitedly. “Josephine. That’s what my aunt said.”
“And this aunt wants to meet you?” Pippa might have asked Ace the question, but her eyes are on me.
I raise and dip my chin. “Yeah, she wants to make contact with Ace as apparently he’s her only remaining family.” I pause, then add, “I’ve got questions about the truth of her being otherwise alone in the world, and also, wonder why she’s making contact now? She said she only learned she was a twin shortly before her father died. I’d like to confirm his death was recent.”
Pippa’s eyes sharpen. “I can check. Give me a moment.” Again, her fingers fly over the keys.
And all the while I’ve got an increasingly excited son standing beside me. It takes Pippa a while. I sit first, then Ace, giving in, also takes a seat. Eventually, she does find answers.
“Antoinette and Josephine’s mother died years back from cancer. She died in North Carolina, her dad three months ago in Flagstaff.” She starts clicking again. “Both the mom and dad were only children, and the grandparents are deceased. So on the face of it, her story checks out.” She looks away from her monitor and up at me.
I can guess what she’s asking. “I never knew Josie had a sister. According to Antoinette, their parents’ divorce happened when they were both very young and was acrimonious. Her dadtook one girl, her mom another. Neither knew they had a sibling growing up until a deathbed confession revealed the sorry tale.”
Pippa sighs and pushes her chair back. On wheels, it places a defining distance between her and the keypad, a sign she’s finished her delving, at least for now. “Are you worried about letting Ace meet her?”
Well fuck, that puts me on the spot. If Pippa can’t find anything wrong, all my gut feelings are null. I’ve no rational reason to refuse aunt and nephew getting to know one another. Other than it’s only been him and me for so long, apart from my mother. And even to me, that sounds too damn selfish to admit out loud.
“I wanted you or Genie to check this shit out.” I shrug. “But if it all stands up, then, no…” I have to grit my teeth to finish. “I’ll withdraw my objections to them meeting.”
“Yes!” Ace raises his fist and pumps the air.
“But one more thing, Pippa? Can you look into her medical records? Especially any mental illness she might have been diagnosed with?”
“Dad,” Ace growls. “It doesn’t matter if she’s autistic like me.” He shakes his head and actually laughs. “It might be one more thing we can bond over.”
I don’t want him fucking bonding with anyone but me and his nana. But I’m sensible enough to keep that to myself.
Pippa shakes her head. “I’d need to know more. Where she lives for a start, and if she’s got a job. That information would help as it would point me to whatever insurance company she’s with.”
Ace shifts awkwardly beside me, casting me suspicious sideways glances. I’ve made sure I’ve never shown him any inkling that I was bothered by his diagnosis, and can well understand why he’d think less of me if I were worried about Antoinette having a similar affliction. But if she is bipolar, thengiving my, and his, albeit unknown to him, history, that meeting won’t happening. Not knowing, though, any meeting will be under my strict supervision.
Pippa shuts down the PC she’s been using. “I’m sorry, Freak, that’s all I can give you for now. I can only confirm she is who she says she is. I can understand how, with both parents gone, she’d want to connect with any blood family she can find.”
Pippa’s acceptance of the reason that Antoinette’s turned up now is the final nail in the coffin of my arguments.
It seems like aunt and nephew are going to be meeting. Whether I like it or not.
CHAPTER FIVE
FREAK
Iknow from the way he’s looking at me that Ace wants to call Antoinette now. His impatience would be visible to a blind man, let alone me with my twenty-twenty vision.
All out of excuses, I hand back his phone, but stay close as he hits the key which brings up her name in his contacts. My gut still tells me this is a bad idea, but I’ve no further argument I can use to dissuade him.
He won’t be meeting her alone. That’s a fucking non-starter. I’m going to be close and will monitor every word and every gesture. If something doesn’t sound right, then I’ll get him straight out of there.
