Desperate Measures (5 page)

“Another twin? Caitlin, when I said does this sound familiar, I meant the hiring of the controversial biochemist and DNA research. I’m calling it a night and sleeping guard in the guestroom at your suite. Tomas can’t get here quick enough to help me sort through this shit. I haven’t even gotten to Caitlin’s asshole scientist yet!”

Most police officers became territorial when the FBI commanded an investigation in their jurisdiction. Not Drew. He planned to fully cooperate and let the agents have access to any records or evidence they requested. Drew thought he had a straightforward case of a burglary or prank. The knowledge that the crime could possibly be tied to an international investigation, involving a wealthy and powerful man, made him dizzy.

In a subdued state, they left the beachside restaurant. Drew broke the silence. “By the way, I got a message on my blackberry from the vet school. The preliminary results of the blood analysis indicate it isn’t human. I’m sure once Tomas gets here tomorrow, he’ll send enough samples to Quantico for a positive ID. Let’s get back to the hotel, see your kids, and relieve Linda.”

Drew and Scott walked ahead while Caitlin lagged behind. Drew stopped when Caitlin mumbled something. He turned and asked, “What did you say, Caitlin?”

In a flustered answer, Caitlin replied, “What? Oh, nothing. I guess I was just talking to myself. A lot has happened today.”

Drew eyed her. He could’ve sworn she’d said, “There’s another twin.”

* * * *

The door creaked open and he stepped over the threshold, careful not to make a sound. He needed a few minutes alone to readjust into normal law abiding citizen mode. It had been a long day. A long weekend for that matter but good to be back. Home for a few days and then repeat the itinerary. Not the same travel itinerary of course.

Once Caitlin received the next message, they’d be searching and monitoring flights, and every other method of transportation to that island. That damn husband of hers would call in the whole FBI. They’d all jump to Aces side. They always did. Everyone loved Aces, thought she was so great. So far, mission accomplished. He threw the duffel bag into a small hallway closet, a perfect hiding place. The bag contained incriminating evidence but no one would come looking for it. They’d never figure out who they were dealing with.

Scott and Caitlin took the children to a late breakfast and waited for Tomas. He arrived on the early morning flight, met with Drew, and handed over some FBI supplies. He also agreed to play chaperone and babysitter for a few hours until Caitlin and Scott finished up the investigation with Drew.

“Hey guys!” Tomas said as he crossed to the Martel’s table with a bag in one hand and a picnic basket in the other.

“Tomas!” Chad shouted and ran to give him a hug with Alexandra on his heels.

“You two munchkins ready to go have fun today while your mommy and daddy finish things up at the house?”

“Yeah me go bye-bye with Tomas,” Alexandra screeched.

“Me too,” Chad echoed. “Are we going snorkeling? Have you seen the Black Rocks, Tomas? Can we go to Cockleshell Beach and Sandy Bay?”

“Slow down, we’ll do whatever you guys want. I haven’t been here before so I’m counting on the grand tour. You know your way around right, Chad?”

“Yup, let’s go.”

Caitlin and the kids walked ahead. Scott gripped Tomas’s elbow and motioned toward his laden filled hands. “What the hell’s all that you’re carrying?”

Nonplussed, Tomas replied, “Food. What do you think it is? I had room service deliver it while I unpacked and checked my e-mails. I’ve got just a few hours before I meet with Drew again, so I’m going to enjoy myself and your kids won’t go hungry.”

Scott laughed, reached into his wallet and handed over the universal form of currency, a credit card. “You’ll need this. Charge whatever they want. I guarantee you’ll come back with all that shit you’ve packed in the basket and bags.” Scott turned serious. He asked his next question. This one had nothing to do with food or fun. “Any problem getting what I needed?”

“Nope, and before you ask, I didn’t raise suspicions. I know Caitlin’s parent’s worry incessantly and am aware of how distraught they’d be if they knew what happened. You know me, schmoozed Constance, made her laugh, and she fed me. I can always eat.” He held the basket and bags in front of him for confirmation of that fact.

“We have to meet Drew at the station in a few minutes. When we get back I’ll fill you in. I want to look at those papers from the safe.”

They caught up to Caitlin, Chad, and Alexandra. “We’ll see you later this afternoon, kids, have fun with Tomas touring the island,” Scott said to his children and then turned to Tomas and snickered. “Buddy, you can’t get lost here and Chad knows his way around. Make sure you see the Black Rocks, right here on the other end of the island. The map I crudely sketched should keep you on track.”

“Don’t worry, you know these kids of yours are in great hands with me, safe and sound,” Tomas replied.

“I’m not worried about their safety. I worry about you driving on this island and getting lost. Remember St. Thomas? And by the way they drive on the left here.”

“Yeah, yeah I remember. No problem, Mon. See, I know island lingo.”

After saying another goodbye, Scott left with Caitlin, in a taxi, to finish answering Drew’s questions at the police station. Tomas buckled Alexandra into her car seat in the back and Chad climbed into the front passenger seat of the van.

“Okay, kids, ready to have a fun day?” Tomas asked as he pulled out of the hotel’s parking lot.

“Tomas, watch out, you’re in the wrong lane!” Chad yelled. “They drive on the left here!”

Tomas swerved back onto the left side of the small street and muttered, “I have to drive on the left side of the road but your parents give me an American made vehicle. This is going to be interesting.”

The van bumped onto an empty sidewalk. “Tomas!” Chad screeched and Alexandra chuckled as the van drove on the uneven walkway.

“Sorry about that, kids. This road seems to have light traffic. Maybe I should practice a little bit to get the hang of this left side of the road nonsense.”

After their third pass down the road, Tomas got used to driving on the left. Alexandra yelled from the back seat, “Nummies, nummies!”

Tomas looked at Chad and asked, “What’s she talking about?”

“She wants a snack from that little store over there. Dad always stops for her to get chips or something.”

“But I packed snacks and a whole lunch for us. We have Arroz con Pollo and all the chips and snacks you could want.”

“My sister always likes to go into the snack and souvenir shop. I have no clue what you’re talking about, polo and arrows? Why can’t we go to the Island Rock for lunch? Paul and Rita make really good chicken and Caribbean rice.”

Tomas shook his head, and couldn’t help but laugh when he pulled onto the small store’s grass parking lot. “That’s what Arroz con Pollo is, chicken and rice. Let’s get Alexandra a snack and I’ll buy a map too.”

“Cool, so we can go to the Island Rock for chicken and rice and why do you need a map? My dad told you it’s hard to get lost here and I know the way. It’s very simple, all you have to do is stay on the same road around the island,” Chad interrogated.

“Let’s go in the store and then be on our way,” Tomas said and grumbled under his breath, “Damn these kids are spoiled. I love Scott and Caitlin like my brother and sister. Their children are polite, well behaved, and smart as hell but spoiled rotten.” He became even more annoyed, realizing Scott had been right. The credit card stayed tucked in his pocket. He’d be damned if he’d use it. Not yet.

Back in the car, Alexandra had Cheetos, Chad a bag of potato chips, and Tomas had his newly purchased map on his lap. “Everybody ready? Let’s get going,” Tomas said as he turned off the small road.

“Where are you going?” Chad barked.

“What do mean where am I going? We’re going to the Black Rocks. All we need to do is follow the road around the mountains.”

“Not this mountain, the mountain back there that leads to the rainforest.” Chad jabbed his hand behind him as he shifted in his seat and pointed Tomas in the correct direction. “This way goes to Friar’s Bay and Cockleshell Beach, that’s where the Island Rock is.”

Tomas’s knuckles grew whiter as he gripped the steering wheel. To the left, a guardrail served as the only barrier between them and a straight drop-off into the turquoise blue Atlantic Ocean. To the right, stood a solid rock formation. In a shaky voice he answered, “We’re just going for a little ride. I haven’t been here before because your father keeps me busy in Miami and New York. There must be some place I can turn around, right?”

“Once you get past this big hill, you can pull off and drive back down. Be careful though, there’s cows and goats that cross the road and Alexandra likes to see them, so go slow.”

“Yes sir.” Tomas saluted his passenger.

He managed to turn around without picking up a hood ornament in the form of a cow or goat. Tomas drove back down the mountain, successfully made it into the small town of Basseterre before he panicked again.

“How am I going to get through that? Cars are parked on both sides of the street. There’s barely room for a motorcycle to fit through.”

“It’s easy,” Chad said. “You look to see who’s coming, wait, and beep. They’ll let you through.”

“Let’s take a short-cut. This road doesn’t have many cars on it, driving or parked.”

Tomas turned down a side street only to come to a standstill at a very busy intersection near the port. “I can’t get across this traffic making a right turn into the left lane.”

He turned left instead of right, and headed back along the waterway in the direction they had come.

Drew had just returned from their house when Caitlin and Scott walked into the station.

“Morning, you two, I just got back from your house, got some evidence collected, but I’ll finish up with Tomas when we get done here. There’s a deputy posted so we don’t have to worry about anyone entering and compromising the scene.”

Drew let his statement hang in the air and waited for a confrontation from Scott regarding the debacle yesterday. He’d made a mockery of himself and his whole department. What reputable police organization didn’t have crime scene tape? He never needed it before. The emergency calls he received consisted of lost drunken tourists, in which he became a taxi cab, and the occasional fight.

This time the invaluable experience, obtained from his former career, could be utilized to its fullest potential. Since no snide remarks occurred, his confidence surged and he continued the questioning process.

“I told Tomas I’d pick him up around two this afternoon at the hotel. Let’s start and get back to where we left off last night, Caitlin, twins and research scientists.”

“Drew, lets finish up with the twins first, there’s more I didn’t tell you last night.”

Caitlin’s statement puzzled and confused Drew. She appeared to be tense and strained. Assessing her body language, Drew figured she’d rather be in the dentist’s chair, having a root canal. He forged ahead. “More twins, now what’re you telling me? We have your brothers, your aunt and uncle, and with the Bucklins in the picture, another set?”

Caitlin clenched her hands together. “Yes you’re correct so far, Drew. If you’ll note they’re all fraternal twins, which are hereditary. Now for what you don’t know, my mother has a twin brother, and I had a twin but he was stillborn. My father also had an aunt and uncle who were twins, but they passed away years ago.”

Drew’s mouth gaped open, his eyes grew wide. A sudden realization hit him; he was right. He
did
hear Caitlin mumble something about twins last night but didn’t expect this. He hadn’t comprehended James and the dead twin, now Caitlin had…

As if Caitlin had anticipated his next words she said, “I know what you’re thinking. The answer is yes. James’s twin died in the same manner that mine did.”

Drew rubbed his forehead and attempted to connect the dots of the family tree. “Okay, so you have quite a few sets of twins in your family, any others you left out?”

“None that I know of.” Caitlin shrugged her shoulders.

“You said fraternal twins are hereditary. It just strikes me as odd with this many. I want to know more about each of your family members. Let’s put that aside for now. Tell me about Dr. Tessell’s DNA research and what happened with his career.”

“Brad was the Director of the Molecular Biology Department at a University in Switzerland. He’s a great scientist and researcher but lacks the skills of a supervisor and the interpersonal traits required for such a high level position. Those deficiencies caused the downfall of his career. He avoided confrontational situations, particularly with employees and disciplinary procedures. Essentially, he was a Human Resources nightmare. He gave his staff a lot of leeway and focused on his own research.”

While Caitlin spoke, Drew tapped his pen on the table to help him concentrate. He anticipated a technical and scientific dissertation and fidgeted in his seat. His body language must’ve conveyed a message. Caitlin apparently noticed the signals.

“I’ll get to the point quickly. One of the scientists abused the freedom given to him in the lab. He used the equipment and lab specimens to clone human body parts for sale on the black market. Officials uncovered the scam, held Brad responsible, and alienated him in the scientific community.” Caitlin paused for a moment, giving Drew time to absorb what she’d just said.

“Anyway,” Caitlin continued, “I had him thoroughly investigated before hiring him. We have an airtight and legally binding employment contract with him, and Steve has him on a tight leash. There are video cameras in all of the Research and Development labs. It’d be impossible for Brad to venture off on his own agenda.”

“Seems like a lot of babysitting. Is this Tessell worth the trouble?” Drew asked.

“With the contracts my company has and his expertise, yes. He plays a critical role in CSM’s future. Once we release our new product, it means millions for the company, not to mention the shareholders. Several large world renowned biotechnology companies have opened up Research Centers on the Treasure Coast of Florida. The collaborative efforts could put CSM Technologies on the map.”