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McRose - the writing team of highplainswoman and janlaw
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Date Posted: 19:52:38 05/02/07 Wed
In reply to:
McRose
's message, "Doppelgänger" on 19:52:35 04/06/07 Fri
Doppelgänger Chapter Twelve
Trish and Frank Burnett’s home and guest cottage
La Jolla, CA
Tuesday, 12 June 2007/1800 – 6 pm
Annabeth was stunned, almost to the point of speechlessness, at the sight of the impressive home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, perched high above the beach. “Are they rich?” she finally gasped. “The Captain and the Colonel?”
“No,” Vic hastened to explain. “This is CAPT Rabb’s folks’ home. He and Colonel MacKenzie live in their guest house, back behind the pool.”
“Guest house. Pool,” Annabeth echoed faintly. As an Assistant District Attorney in Marion County, Indiana, she earned a reasonable salary, sufficient for her needs and to take care of Hailey, but a house like this was beyond any imaginings.
“Is the inside as gorgeous as the outside? Have you been here before, then?”
“I guess,” Vic shrugged. “I was only here for an open house Christmas Eve – they had the whole command, and all the NCIS investigators too. Then I was back the day after Christmas for a strategy session for an investigation ….I didn’t really look around all that much.”
Annabeth noticed the long ramp curving from the side of the driveway to the front of the house. Before she could ask about it – if someone was in a wheelchair – the front door opened and Mac appeared, waving at them to come in.
“The house is just gorgeous,” she couldn’t help commenting, as they walked through a spacious foyer into a greatroom, crossing to double French doors leading to a deck and pool. She glimpsed a Jacuzzi spa on the far side of the pool, and what appeared to be a small house to the side, partly hidden by a row of palm trees and a huge bougainvillea.
“It is.” Mac was quick to praise Trish Burnett’s vision. “My mother-in-law owns an art gallery. She did all the decorating and design work. We love living here so much, we’ve put off getting our own place.”
Mac snagged Mahara as the toddler went racing by her, handing her to Harm who was in hot pursuit of the child.
“Come on, baby, let’s go see how Bud’s doing with the grill. Annabeth? Vic? Something to drink? Beer? Soda?”
Annabeth looked around. There was an outdoor kitchen with a built-in gas grill that another man was hovering over, keeping close eye on the steaks, hamburgers—and was that a fish??—cooking there. Mac leaned over to Annabeth, grinning. “The men cook tonight– the kids’ll clean up – we can relax! Have you met my XO? Let me introduce you….Bud Roberts, and his wife, Harriet Sims. Their children are inside, playing.”
Harm was gently teasing his daughter and gave no indication he had heard the remark until Annabeth heard him speak up. “Okay, Mac, then you’ve got bath and potty duty.”
The blonde woman arranging woven placemats and colorful, beach themed dishes and silver on two teakwood tables with huge bright umbrellas piped up. “Mac, it must be nice to have a cook and bottle washers on the premises. And the cook doubles as a ‘handyman’ too, I’ve heard!” The man at the grill - Bud – Annabeth recalled, groaned.
“Give it a rest, Harriet!”
Harriet’s grin only got wider. Mac tilted her head. “Now, there’s a story we haven’t heard. Give it up, Bud!”
Vic, Bud and Annabeth accepted beers from Harm, who had fetched them from a small refrigerator built into the tiled wall next to the grill. “Oh, Harriet’s been giving me a bad time about a project I started years ago—and it’s still not finished.” He leaned over to the older man. “I started building a ‘lawyer’s bookcase’—you know, the kind with glass doors. Got stuck on the doors.” He shrugged, waving his spatula in the air.
Harm turned towards an older girl emerging from the house, expertly propelling herself in a wheelchair. Introducing her, “my older daughter, Mattie Grace. Here. Would you keep an eye on this little imp? She’s been racing through the house just getting in the way.”
Mattie turned her attention from the grill. “Bud, I think Harm’s fish is beginning to look more than just a little black!—and aren’t the hamburgers done yet?? I’m h-u-n-g-r-y.”
Bud sharply turned his attention back to the grill and started turning over the salmon. Harm continued. “If you need help with the bookcase, Bud, just give me a call.”
Bud was totally focused on the food. “Thanks. Ya wanna hand me a plate? I think your fish is ready, Captain—” he poked at the hamburgers. “Mattie’s right about the burgers, they’re done, too.”
Mattie took Mahara in her lap where the child’s attention was caught by the necklace Mattie was wearing and reached for it. Mattie gently scolded the child. “No, no, no. You can’t have that.” She settled the child in her lap more firmly. “Let’s go see if we can find the boys and Chloe and Nikki—I’m sure they’ll be ready to eat too.
Mac turned to Annabeth and Vic. “That’s our cue. Let’s bring the rest of the food out and we can eat.” They followed on her heels into the guest house’s kitchen and she started fishing bowls out of the refrigerator.
**********
The adults were settled on the pool deck. Mattie was “supervising” the younger children—Annabeth counted five of them—in a game that was a cross between “Twister” and “tag,” so far as she could tell. The side yard area was small—there wasn’t much room for the children to play. Another older girl – Chloe – had filled her plate and excused herself. “Last exam’s tomorrow at 8 – graduation’s Saturday!” Harm was sprawled in a lounger, holding Mac’s hand that dangled from her own lounger. “It’s too bad we hadn’t planned to take the kids to the park instead of them being cooped up here in this tiny yard.”
Annabeth was in her own lounger. She looked around. “Well, this is still awfully “nice.” There was a gentle, cooling breeze, and she took a deep breath. “I’d rather have the pool than a big yard! You know, in Indianapolis, we hear about how polluted the big cities are, yet you’d never know about the pollution problem here.”
Mac raised her eyebrows. “That’s because it’s a good day.” A thought struck her, “It’s been good weather ever since you’ve been here. Have you had a good time?”
“Oh yeah. I think I’ve fallen in love with the beach!” She turned to Harm. “I want to thank you, Captain, for arranging this trip.”
Harm shrugged. “My pleasure. And please, call me Harm.” He straightened up. “It’s the least I could do after putting on that ‘show’ in Indianapolis.”
“And just who do you think gets the credit for the idea?” Annabeth’s head whirled. Mac’s grin was wide and there was a sparkle in her eyes.
Harm slouched down again and shrugged his shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was my idea in the first place.”
Mac only humped and then glared at her husband. “Okay, okay!!” He turned to Annabeth. “Actually, Mac was the one who suggested inviting your boss to observe Morrison’s court martial.”
Mac’s glare softened, but Annabeth still had the feeling she was looking for something else. Harm shifted uncomfortably. The apologetic look he tossed Annabeth was endearing and Annabeth forever would remember the Captain this way, not the rather intimidating and forbidding figure who had first shown up on Jimmy’s doorstep. “The offer was kind of an apology for going all ‘macho’ in your office.”
Annabeth was astounded. Then she chuckled. “You should have seen Jimmy when you first popped up on the scene.”
Bud inserted himself into the conversation for the first time. “I understand there’s a striking resemblance between Harm and Mr. Conlon.”
She stared straight at thegroup. “Mo and I both had the thought they were related—they looked like adult identical twins!”
Harriet made her first contribution to the conversation. “Oh-h-h, that must have been fun!” And Bud piped in, “Especially since the colonel is the spittin’ image of Captain Rabb’s friend from the Naval Academy.”
Annabeth sat there dumbfounded—as did Vic, who remembered how she’s remarked on Mac’s resemblance to a police officer in Indianapolis. Mac laughed, having firmly determined to not let the ghosts of either the past or present bother her.
“Jimmy would’ve liked to have come – who wouldn’t – but running off to the beach in the middle of the campaign isn’t the thing to do.” Annabeth was just making conversation, assuming Harm at least knew what Jimmy was up to.
“Campaign?” Mac questioned, “is he up for reelection? I hadn’t realized his was an elective office.” Despite herself, she was curious about the man who was apparently Harm’s ‘double.’
“It’s not,” Annabeth hastened to explain. “He’s running for State Attorney General.”
“Hey,” Harm joined the conversation, “not my thing …but if he wins, maybe I’ll be “recognized” and get the royal treatment in airports or somewhere!”
Just then, Mahara toddled up to her mother. “Mommy!” Mattie was wheeling herself hot on her heels. Mac reached down, disentangling her hand from Harm’s and picked her up. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” Mahara stuck her thumb in her mouth and cuddled up.
“I think her batteries are low,” Mattie’s voice was full of amusement. She nodded towards the other children who were tangled up on the Twister mat. “I think the boys and Nikki overwhelmed her.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised. She did “Tumblin’ for Tots” at day care this afternoon.” Her hand was caressing the baby-fine dark hair, and Annabeth’s heart “melted” as she observed the youngster settling down. She could see the eyelids droop. She leaned forward.
“I think your little one is out for the count.” Her voice was soft, her smile gentle, and Harm noted the glance Vic tossed her way.
“Mac, you want me to take her to her room?”
Mac shook her head. “Nah, she’ll be fine here.” She dropped a kiss on the soft hair. “I don’t think a bomb would wake her up.” Harm settled back in his chair
Mattie excused herself. “Mahara’s not the only one who’s been overwhelmed. I think I’m headin’ in too – my exams are done but I’m going with Chloe tomorrow. I’ll swim while she slaves over her last exam. See you tomorrow morning, Harm, Mac.” She turned to Annabeth and Vic. “It was nice meeting you. I’m glad San Diego decided to put on good weather for your introduction to the city. No ‘June gloom’ the last few days,” She wheeled herself inside the big house and disappeared.
Annabeth couldn’t help herself. “Mattie – and the other young lady – Chloe? Are they yours? They don’t look like either one of you – and they’re much older than Mahara.” She faltered, “I’m so sorry – that was so rude of me – it’s none of my business.”
“Harm became Mattie’s guardian when her biological father couldn’t provide for her. Later, after an accident, we got custody. Chloe’s my little sister – well, not really – just say they’re our “family of the heart,” along with Bud and Harriet and their kids—our godchildren.”
“Really!”
There was another one of those poignant silent “conversations” between the couple—and it’s intensity was starting to generate some embarrassment among their guests. It was Bud who cleared his throat. “I don’t think you ever told anybody about how you met Mattie in the first place, Captain,” Bud continued the conversation.
Annabeth saw both Harm and Mac mentally shake themselves and he shifted in his seat. “Do you remember seeing the C-130 land on the deck of the Seahawk, Bud?”
Annabeth went through her memory files and remembered watched ZNN’s news coverage of that event. It had been awesome—even on a television screen, the huge military cargo plane had made the fighter jets normally landing on the deck look small. Bud and Harriet only nodded their heads. “After that, the CIA let me go.” It seemed to Annabeth that his face had gained a stone mask. “Just for the hell of it, I went out to Blacksburg to check on ‘Sarah.’” He shook his head. “Not sure why—here I was unemployed once again—really shouldn’t have spent the money, but I really, really needed to get out there.” Annabeth thought she perceived some deep, hidden pain somewhere in the tone of voice. Apparently she’s wasn’t the only one—Mac reached over and touched his hand. She saw the wry grin he tossed her way. “Thanks, Mac.” He looked lost in thought again, and then added with the shrug. “When I arrived, there was this 14-year-old girl, instead of Pops, hanging around ‘Sarah’ and we started talking.” Another shrug. “End of story.
“Oh – “ to Annabeth and Vic, “‘Sarah’s’ my biplane – a Stearman named for my grandmother.”
“Not quite, Harm.” Harriet chimed in. She turned to Annabeth—and Vic, too, who had pulled up a lawn chair and was sitting beside her—he appeared to her to be as intensely interested as she was. “Mac then went to court at the first custody hearing—Mattie’s biological father showed up to contest the guardianship—and testified on Harm’s behalf—and, when the ruling went against both Harm and Mattie’s father, she spoke to Mr. Johnson on her own…it was Christmas Eve, 2003..” She grinned at both of them. “Best Christmas present for all of you.”
Harm’s face brightened, putting the memories back in their box “That’s sure true.”
It was Bud who questioned, “So, do you think it was ‘fate’ that initially partnered you with the Colonel in the first place, her being Diane’s ‘twin’ and all?”
This time both Harm and Mac looked at Bud, rolled their eyes heavenward, and grinned at Bud—and spoke in unison: “Only you, Bud, only you.” Among the “insiders” of what Annabeth perceived as a very close-knit group, there were some quiet chuckles. She had no way of remembering the much-younger Bud Roberts and his fascination with the idea of the paranormal.
Harriet got a serious, almost thoughtful look on her face. “And now you find yourself with a real-life ‘twin’ yourself. And, Mac’s got someone in Indianapolis too – like a sister or a cousin, she told me Annabeth said. Do you think there’s a message there someway, somehow?”
Harm snorted. “Are you kidding?” He turned his head to look at Harriet. “And I always thought you were the ‘practical’ one.” He sat up straighter. “I’m a lawyer—I believe in facts!”
Harriet persisted. “Well, there’s no doubting the bond you and Mac share.” She raised her eyebrows in exasperation! “After Mac found you in the ocean that time. . .”
Annabeth’s head was reeling. Her own voice was soft. “You guys must have quite a history.”
It was Mac who spoke next. “I don’t know if it was ‘fate’ or just what, Harriet. I’m still somewhat skeptical of the paranormal,” and Vic and Annabeth both saw the look of gentle bewilderment blended in an odd sort of way with amusement, “It’s hard to argue ‘Fate’ put Harm and I together—with the assistance of …uh-h-h…someone from ‘another government agency’.”
“Another government agency?” Annabeth was confused. This was foreign territory to her.
It was hard to miss Harm’s snort of indignation. “Yeah, the CIA, or as they sometimes like to be called, ‘Deputy Undersecretary at State.’”
“It was a very long time ago.” Mac’s voice had gone flat and she spoke with finality.
“So, Captain, you never did answer the question.” Vic snickered. The hard-nosed prosecutor was coming to the forefront. “Do you believe in fate? And do you think ‘fate’ will bring you and Jimmy Conlon together again??”
Harm sat there silently, after reaching over to grab hold of Mac’s hand again. Finally, he said, “I don’t know. What I do know,” and he was staring at Mac intently, “is that Fate brought Mac and I together—and it was Mac’s uncanny likeness to Diane that made me pay attention in the first place.” He shook his head in a rueful manner. “But she is nothing like Diane. . .” his voice faded.
Mac spoke up and directly to Annabeth. “I have no idea as to the future, nor do I think it’s necessarily a ‘portent’ of ‘things to come’ that Harm discovered a living, breathing ‘twin’ in Indianapolis.” She shrugged. “There is the expression ‘out there’ that goes something like ‘everybody’s got a ‘twin’ somewhere on this planet.’” She shrugged. “It’s just a lucky toss of the dice that Harm has met his. And, since Annabeth said the police officer just looks sort of like me – not really a twin – I’m shrugging it all off as coincidence.”
Another glance at her husband—and she caught his eyes. Even Vic got the message there would be more discussion of this particular topic on the marital agenda in the future.
In the meantime, A.J. and his sister Nikki came up to their parents and complained about some incident that had occurred on the Twister board. Harriet reached for her now two and a half year-old daughter and glanced at her own husband to send a signal. She addressed Mac. “This has been fun, but I think the kids have had enough. Do you need help cleaning up?”
Mac shook her head and moved to get up out of her chair, rearranging her sleeping child to transport her to her own bed. “No.” She glanced around. “No problem. Mattie and Chloe welshed out, but Harm and I’ll do it. You go ahead now.”
Bud and Harriet rounded up their children and Harm walked the family to the door, as Mac bade goodbye to Annabeth and indicated “see you tomorrow” to Vic.
Annabeth stepped forward. She flashed Harm a shy smile as she shook hands with Mac, who had come back through the main house. “I had a very good time, Harm, Mac. Thanks for inviting me.” Vic, too, exchanged his goodnights with the couple and they made their way to his car.
“I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of discussion at some point about the subject of ‘twins,’” was Vic’s opening comment.
Annabeth snapped on her seatbelt and settled in for the trip back to her hotel. “No doubt.” There was a pause. “Was it me, or were two of Harriet and Bud’s kids twins themselves?”
“Yeah. The youngest two.” He backed out of the driveway. “It’s my understanding that’s why Harriet left active duty – but I heard she’s starting law school at Cal Western in September.”
“That’s a lot of ‘twins’ who aren’t related – the Captain and your boss; his dead friend – Diane? - and his wife; the Colonel and your police friend ….
Annabeth gave a slight shiver. “All this talk of twins—it’s just a bit much.” She shook it off. The conversation on the way back to her hotel turned to other matters.
D.A.’s Office
Indianapolis
Thursday, June 14, 2007
He watched Annabeth carefully, as she related to her supervisors—both Mo and himself—what had occurred in San Diego. There was a definite change to her—she seemed—happier?—than she had been. Her blue eyes sparkled and her face crinkled up either in a grin and/or smile faster, easier than it had in the past. He watched her carefully, mentally noting the differences, as she used hand gestures to emphasize certain points as the story of the court martial in San Diego unfolded. Finally she was finished. He jerked himself forward and dismissed Mo. “Annabeth, stay behind, would you please?”
Mo got up from her seat, tossed a glance at Annabeth that Jimmy was hard put to interpret, and left his office. “See you later,” was her only comment. He leaned forward, picking up a pen to toy with it while he gave careful thought to what he wanted to ask her.
“You seem—” and he cast about for the right word and came up with, “refreshed.” He leaned back again. “That little trip did you a world of good, it seems.”
She smiled that half-smile which had seemed so sad before—and Jimmy discovered that perhaps it was his perception/projection at work there. “I fell in love—with San Diego – with the beach,” she hastened to add as she saw an eyebrow jerk upward. “I don’t know—maybe it was the ocean, the palm trees, even the weather.”
“So you had a good time, did you?”
She had the grace to blush. “Yes, sir.” He leaned back in his chair.
“Obviously, the court martial didn’t last as long as we’d thought it would.” There was an unasked question lurking behind that comment, and she knew it.
“Actually, the attorneys worked it out. Morrison changed his mind Sunday night and decided he wanted to plead.” Her own face got thoughtful and reflective. “My observation is that the negotiating of plea bargains isn’t that different than in the civilian system.”
“And the quality of the attorneys?” He was genuinely curious. Meeting the few military people he had during this case had run up against some deeply ingrained biases he had held and had thoroughly abused those biases. Annabeth shook her head.
“I found the attorneys to be equal to ours—on both sides.”
“Hm-m-m-m.” He would have to think about that. Deeply ingrained biases, he was discovering anew, would not be dislodged quite that easily. “And –socially? How did things go there?”
She blushed again. As in any office in this land, people were curious as to others’ personal lives—although they all tried to refrain too much. But it was part of being human and he was genuinely curious as to what Annabeth thought. He felt an honest affection for her—much as he would for a “little sister”—and tried to let her know in ways both subtle and otherwise he appreciated her moral support when he was down. The latest incident in which his close personal friend had been killed—and a deep dark secret inadvertently revealed—was only the latest example of the kind of support he had received from her. Somewhere in his mind was a little voice saying it was only “right” to return the favor.
“Captain Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie – Harm and Mac – had me over”—and this time her face really lit up—“and they have the cutest little girl—about a year younger than Hailey. Mahara is somethin’ else!” She grinned in memory of the active little one who was keeping her parents ‘hoppin.’ “There are two older girls – I guess 17 or 18 – they graduate this weekend. No one said anything about it, but one was using a wheelchair. I don’t think it was just a broken leg or something like that. There was a ramp from the driveway to the front door that looked permanent. Makes me realize my troubles are small.” Then he saw a spark of mischievous merriment come into her eyes and instantly his guard went up. “Did you know Mac had a twin look-alike, too?”
This case was all too weird! His jaw dropped. “You’re kiddin!”
She shook her head. “Nope. She – someone named Diane – was apparently Harm’s friend at the Naval Academy.” Then she frowned. “I think maybe it was an issue at one time between the two of them. Oh, and Mac also looks enough like Dani McKinnen to be her sister or maybe her cousin – not really a ‘twin’.” ”
Jimmy sat up in his chair, his mind whirling over the events of the past few months. That would explain a lot of Captain Rabb’s own behavior—especially given his own personal response to discovering he had a look-alike “twin” out there. “Is the ‘twin’ thing a current issue now?” He was really, really curious.
She shook her head. “I got the impression it was in the past. Although Mac wasn’t entirely comfortable still with the idea. It sounded like her look-alike has been dead for a long time, now.”
He leaned back in his chair again and this time his eyes wandered and caught on a point above and beyond Annabeth. He was reaching his own conclusions. Then he shook himself and leaned forward as if to get back to work. “I’m glad you had a good time.” He brought his eyes back to her face. “Think you can get back into the swing of things here?”
Her smile was brilliant, radiant as a matter of fact. “Yes. I had a good time but it’s good to be back.” She paused. “I loved San Diego—at least what I saw of it—especially the beach -- but Indianapolis is ‘home’—I wouldn’t want to live out there.”
He waved his hand in dismissal. His active mind had already catalogued this case, as strange as it turned out to be, in his memory banks and he was ready and willing and able to move onto the next project. “Get out of here—back to work!”
She stood up, smiled once more at him, smoothing her skirt as she did so. “Yes sir!” and walked out the door. He reached for the first paper on the top of the stack on his desk. It was a detailed analysis of crime statistics. He bent over and started pursuing the analysis, already wondering if there was something his office could do—legislation to propose—to bring these stats down. Another “routine” work day had started.
End Chapter Twelve. Epilogue to follow.
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