The Third Twin Part 53

Steve said: "I'm going to tie him up before he comes round. Do you have any cord, Jeannie?"

Mr. Oliver said: "I have some electric cable. I'll get my toolbox." He went out.

Jeannie hugged Steve gratefully. She felt as if she had awakened from a nightmare. "I thought he was you," she said. "It was just like yesterday, but this time I wasn't being paranoid, I was right."

"We said we should make up a code, then we didn't get around to it."

"Let's do it now. When you approached me on the tennis court last Sunday, you said, I play a little tennis myself.'"

"And you modestly said, 'If you only play a little little tennis, you're probably not in my league.'" tennis, you're probably not in my league.'"

"That's the code. If one of us says the first line, the other has to say the second."

"Done."

Mr. Oliver came back with his toolbox. He rolled Harvey over and started to tie his hands in front, binding the palms flat against one another but leaving the pinkie fingers free.

Steve said: "Why not tie his hands behind his back?"

Mr. Oliver looked bashful. "If you'll excuse me for mentioning it, this way he can hold his own d.i.c.k when he has to take a p.i.s.s. I learned that in Europe during the war." He started to bind Harvey's feet. "This guy won't cause you no more trouble. Now what are you planning to do about the front door?"

Jeannie looked at Steve, who said: "I busted it pretty bad."

"I'd better call a carpenter," Jeannie said.

Mr. Oliver said: "I got some loose timber in the yard. I could fix it so we can lock the door tonight. Then we could get someone to do a better job tomorrow."

Jeannie felt profoundly grateful to him. "Thank you, that's so kind."

"Don't mention it. This is the most interesting thing that's happened to me since World War Two."

"I'll help you," Steve offered.

Mr. Oliver shook his head. "You two have a lot to discuss, I can see that. Like whether you're going to call the cops on this guy you have trussed up on your carpet." Without waiting for an answer he picked up his toolbox and went downstairs.

Jeannie collected her thoughts. "Tomorrow, Genetico will be sold for a hundred and eighty million dollars and Proust will be on the presidential trail. Meanwhile I've got no job and my reputation is shot. I'll never work as a scientist again. But I could turn both situations around, with what I know."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Well...I could issue a press release about the experiments."

"Wouldn't you need some kind of proof?"

"You and Harvey together make pretty dramatic evidence. Especially if we could get you on TV together."

"Yeah-on Sixty Minutes Sixty Minutes or something. I like that." His face fell again. "But Harvey wouldn't cooperate." or something. I like that." His face fell again. "But Harvey wouldn't cooperate."

"They can film him tied up. Then we call the cops, and they can film that too."

Steve nodded. "The trouble is, you probably have to act before Landsmann and Genetico finalize the takeover. Once they have the money, they may be able to ride out any bad publicity we generate. But I don't see how you can get on TV in the next few hours. And their press conference is tomorrow morning, according to The Wall Street Journal." The Wall Street Journal."

"Maybe we should hold our own press conference."

Steve snapped his fingers. "I've got it! We gate-crash their their press conference." press conference."

"h.e.l.l, yes. Then maybe the people from Landsmann will decide not to sign the papers, and the takeover will be canceled."

"And Berrington won't make all those millions of dollars."

"And Jim Proust won't run for president."

"We must be crazy," Steve said. "These are some of the most powerful people in America, and we're talking about spoiling their party."

The sound of hammering came from below as Mr. Oliver began to mend the door. Jeannie said: "They hate black people, you know. All this bulls.h.i.t about good genes and second-rate Americans is just code. They're white supremacists all dressed up with modern science. They want to make Mr. Oliver a second-cla.s.s citizen. The h.e.l.l with them, I'm not going to stand by and watch."

"We need a plan," Steve said practically.

"Okay, here goes," Jeannie said. "First we have to find out where the Genetico press conference is being held."

"Probably a Baltimore hotel."

"We'll call them all, if necessary."

"We should probably take a room in the hotel."

"Good idea. Then I sneak into the press conference somehow, and stand up in the middle of it and make a speech to the a.s.sembled media."

'They'll shut you up."

"I should have a press release ready to give out. But then you'll come in with Harvey. Twins are so photogenic, all the cameras will be on you."

Steve frowned. "What do you prove by having me and Harvey there?"

"Because you're identical you'll have the kind of dramatic impact that should cause the press to start asking questions. It won't take them long to check that you have different mothers. Once they learn that, they'll know there's a mystery to be uncovered, just as I did. And you know how they investigate presidential candidates."

"Three would be better than two, though," Steve said. "Do you think we could get one of the others there?"

"We could try. We could invite them all and hope that at least one will show up."

On the floor, Harvey opened his eyes and groaned.

Jeannie had almost forgotten about him. Looking at him now, she hoped his head hurt. Then she felt guilty about being so vengeful. "After the way I hit him, he probably should see a doctor."

Harvey came around fast. "Untie me, you f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h," he said.

"Forget the doctor," Jeannie said.

"Untie me now, or I swear I'll slash your t.i.ts with a razor as soon as I'm free."

Jeannie stuffed the dishcloth in his mouth. "Shut up, Harvey," she said.

Steve said pensively: "It's going to be interesting trying to sneak him into a hotel tied up."

Lisa's voice came from downstairs, greeting Mr. Oliver. A moment later she came in, wearing blue jeans and heavy Doc Marten boots. She looked at Steve and Harvey and said: "My G.o.d, it's true."

Steve stood up. "I'm the one you picked out of the lineup," he said. "But he's the one who attacked you."

Jeannie explained: "Harvey tried to do to me what he did to you. Steve came by just in time and broke the door down."

Lisa went over to where Harvey lay. She stared at him for a long moment, then thoughtfully drew back her foot and kicked him in the ribs as hard as she could with a Doc Marten toecap. He groaned and writhed in pain.

She did it again. "Boy," she said, shaking her head, "that feels good."

Jeannie swiftly brought Lisa up-to-date with the day's developments. "A lot happened while I was sleeping," Lisa said in amazement.

Steve said: "You've been at JFU a year, Lisa-I'm surprised you never met Berrington's son."

"Berrington never socializes with academic colleagues," she said. "He's too much of a celebrity. It's quite possible n.o.body n.o.body at JFU has ever met Harvey." at JFU has ever met Harvey."

Jeannie outlined the plan for disrupting the press conference. "We were just saying we could feel more confident if one of the other clones was going to be there."

"Well, Per Ericson is dead, and Dennis Pinker and Murray Claud are in jail, but that still leaves three possibilities: Henry King in Boston, Wayne Stattner in New York, and George Da.s.sault-he could be in Buffalo, Sacramento, or Houston, we don't know which, but we could try them all again. I kept all the phone numbers."

"So did I," Jeannie said.

Steve said: "Could they get here on time?"

"We could check flights on CompuServe," Lisa said. "Where's your computer, Jeannie?"

"Stolen."

"I have my PowerBook in the trunk, I'll get it."

While she was out, Jeannie said: "We're going to have to think very hard about how to persuade these guys to fly to Baltimore on short notice. And we'll have to offer to pay their fares. I'm not sure my credit card will stand it."

"I have an American Express card my mom gave me for emergencies. I know she'll consider this an emergency."

"What a great mom," Jeannie said enviously.

"That's the truth."

Lisa came back in and plugged her computer into Jeannie's modem line.

"Wait a minute," Jeannie said. "Let's get organized."

58.

JEANNIE WROTE THE PRESS RELEASE, LISA ACCESSED WorldSpan Travelshopper and checked flights, and Steve got the Yellow Pages and started calling all the major hotels to say: "Do you have a press conference scheduled tomorrow for Genetico Inc. or Landsmann?" WorldSpan Travelshopper and checked flights, and Steve got the Yellow Pages and started calling all the major hotels to say: "Do you have a press conference scheduled tomorrow for Genetico Inc. or Landsmann?"

After six tries it occurred to him that the press conference did not have to take place in a hotel. It could be held in a restaurant or a more exotic location such as on board a ship; or they might have a big enough room at Genetico headquarters, just north of the city. But on his seventh call a helpful desk clerk said: "Yes, that's in the Regency Room at noon, sir."

"Great!" Steve said. Jeannie looked questioningly at him, and Steve grinned and made a thumbs-up sign. "Could I reserve a room for tonight, please?"

"I'll connect you with reservations. Please hold on for one moment."

He booked a room, paying with his mother's American Express card. As he hung up, Lisa said: "There are three flights that would get Henry King here on time, all US Air. They leave at six-twenty, seven-forty, and nine forty-five. Seats are available on all of them."

"Book a seat on the nine forty-five," Jeannie said.

Steve pa.s.sed Lisa the credit card and she tapped in the details.

Jeannie said: "I still don't know how to persuade him to come."

"Did you say he's a student, working in a bar?" Steve said. "Yeah."

"He needs money. Let me try something. What's his number?"

Jeannie gave it to him. "He's called Hank," she said.

Steve called the number. No one answered the phone. He shook his head disappointedly. "n.o.body home," he said.

Jeannie looked downcast for a moment, then she snapped her fingers. "Maybe he's working at that bar." She gave Steve the number and he dialed it.

The phone was answered by a man with a Hispanic accent. "The Blue Note."

"May I speak to Hank?"

"He's supposed to be working, you know?" the man said irritably.

Steve grinned at Jeannie and mouthed He's there! He's there! "It's very important, I won't keep him long." "It's very important, I won't keep him long."

A minute later a voice just like Steve's own came down the line. "Yeah, who's this?"

"Hi, Hank, my name is Steve Logan, and we have something in common."

"Are you selling something?"

"Your mother and mine both received treatment at a place called the Aventine Clinic before we were born. You can check that with her."

"Yeah, so?"

"To cut a long story short, I'm suing the clinic for ten million dollars and I'd like you to join in the suit with me."