Page 358 of The Black Trilogy

“Look, why don’t we start at the beginning? You tell me what happened to you then I’ll fill in my bits.” I didn’t know where to start with my side of the story. Actually, that wasn’t right. I knew where to start. I just didn’t want to put it into words.

Black sighed and leaned back. “I suppose that’s sensible.”

Then he started to tell his tale.

“It was that meeting at the Green Mountain hotel last year.” He shook his head slightly. “Last year. I can’t believe it was so long ago.”

I couldn’t either, and the thought made me feel nauseous.

He stared at the far wall of the cramped cabin, eyes unfocused. “I arrived a few minutes early, told the receptionist who I was there to see, and she gave me a key and said to go straight up.”

“Who were we there to see?” That was one of the big mysteries in the investigation. Black had entered the appointment in his calendar himself, and it just said “New client.”

“A guy called me up, said he’d been given my number by Patrick Johnson. You know, he of the wandering hands?”

“I’m hardly likely to forget that creep.”

“Of course. Stupid question. Anyway, it wasn’t the first time Patrick had sent a client our way, so I said I’d stop by for a quick preliminary while he was in town.”

“And who was it?”

“No idea. He’d undoubtedly given me a false name, and the room was empty when I got up there. When I heard a knock on the door, I thought it was you and opened it. Next thing I knew, someone shot me with a Taser, and I woke up in the room you found me in.”

“Carlos made the appointment.” Jane’s voice was soft and timid. “He wanted to meet you.”

“Who’s Carlos?” Black asked.

Jane and I looked at each other. Which of us was going to tell him? She fixed her gaze on her hands as she twisted them on her lap, and I knew it wouldn’t be her.

I swallowed, my mouth dry as a bar in Saudi Arabia. I hated conversations like this. “He was your brother.”

“I don’t have a brother. You know that.”

“It’s true.”

“Emmy, my parents tried for years to have another child but they couldn’t. I found the paperwork when they died. My mother went through eight rounds of IVF before I was born and four more afterwards.”

He’d never told me that part. It all happened before I came on the scene, and I’d never wanted to open old wounds. Talking about his family hurt him.

“You look the same.” Jane started crying. “You’re twins.”

I grabbed a box of tissues off the tiny nightstand and passed her a handful. She wiped the tears away but kept sniffling.

Black raised an eyebrow. “Just because he looked similar, that doesn’t make us related.”

“Jane’s right. I only saw him once, and I could have sworn he was you.”

“You’re both mistaken.” Strong words, but Black’s voice lacked its usual conviction.

“DNA doesn’t lie, and his came back as yours.”

Already pale, he lost the last bit of colour in his cheeks. “You had a DNA test done, and you’re using the past tense. Emmy, what happened?”

“I arrived at the hotel bang on time, and I couldn’t see you in the parking lot so I was heading inside to look for you. Then a cab pulled up with you in it. Well, I thought it was you. Obviously, I know better now. I was waiting for you to pay and get out when two dudes in a van shot a couple of RPGs at it.”

“Except it was this Carlos inside, not me.” Black filled in the missing piece.

“Yeah. Honestly, he didn’t stand a chance. The whole thing went up like the Fourth of July. The cab driver bought it too.”

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