Chapter 93

Lena looked sceptical, “With modern technology, it’s very difficult to fake your identity.”

Zara shook her head, “Identical twins have always been a problem. In most cases, the differences in their DNA are insignificant or not found. Some people use invisible tattoos. Most authorities rely on dental records, medical reports, scars, and changes to their skin, like moles.”

“However, these have to be recorded on their ID chips. If the real Penelope died twenty-three years ago, we would have to pay for an archive search on Earth and Luna. That can take months.”

“Maybe not,” Zeke said.

Zeke touched his ear comm and put a call through to a friend. “Jason, it’s Zeke Walker if you don’t have your caller ID on,” he chuckled.

“Thank you, Jason. Yes, a bad business. Just a quick question about Sharon. Do you know if she was working on a dig site on Luna about twenty-two to twenty-four years ago?”

Zeke grinned at the confused looks he was getting from the others.

“Oh, now that is interesting. You wouldn’t happen to know if Corporal Frank Stone or Penelope Morgan were in that team?”

Zeke smiled while he listened. “You don’t say. Wow. Look, we have a small identity issue. Since you knew the twins, was there any significant way to tell them apart?”

After a minute, Zeke said, “Ouch, that would have hurt.”

“No, Frank never told me that. I just found his medal and was wondering how he got it. I noticed Sharon’s name as his Captain on the letter with it.”

“Thanks, Jason, you have been most helpful. Sorry to interrupt your day.”

“Yes, Sir. Goodbye.”

Zeke touched his ear comm. He waited and then said, “Mum, we’re coming back to the house. Meet us in the dining room. We have a few things to discuss. Can you organise some drinks for us?”

“Shall we go get a drink?” he asked the others.

He put all the papers in the box and led the way to the house.

Zeke got everyone seated around the table, including the four officers. Carly and Lindsay put jugs of juice and cold water on a tray on the table and made sure everyone had a glass. Zeke was amused that he got coffee. Pat put some sweet biscuits on the table.

She made sure everyone had a mat to collect condensation, so the table wasn’t marked. Zeke could have told her it wouldn’t, but for his mum, it was a lifetime habit. He waited while everyone was served and seated.

His first question was, “Mum, did you know Frank had been a Corporal in the American Army before transferring to UNSEC?”

Pat frowned. “Goodness, that was before we met. He told me that he got hurt in some accident on Luna, and they wouldn’t let him resign. He bitched that they did him out of a medical pension. He had a large scar on his right hip from the operation and often complained that it ached.”

“Did he tell you about this medal?” Zeke asked as he fished the flat box out of the larger box he had and handed it to her.

Pat opened the box. “No, I’ve never seen this. Why is there a pair of wedding rings in here?”

“His and Penelope’s,” Zeke responded. “She was also hurt in the accident. The roof of the tunnel they were working in collapsed, and Frank dug her out. She was medically discharged. They had to remove her uterus and half her intestines.”

Those who had been in the shed gasped, as did Blake and Pat.

Pat shook her head, “I don’t understand.”

Zeke gave her the letter. He then dug out the relevant certificates and gave them to Zara.

“Blake, if you don’t mind, can you show Zara and Detective Beck where the copier is? I’d like to keep the originals.”

Blake nodded as he got up and then waited for the ladies to follow him. One of the other female offices pushed back her chair and stood.

She said, “I’ll go with them.”

Zeke shook his head. “No, Rose, you will sit down until they come back.”

The woman started and then glared at Zeke. “I’m Constable Rita Smith. Who is Rose?”

“Rosemary Anne Morgan, do you know what I am?”

“A little boy posing as a mage,” she sneered. “What are you doing here? You are supposed to be on Armstrong Station?”

“Yes, we will return there shortly. We had to come back to clear a few things up. Please, sit.”

Rose struggled to move away but found herself sitting back down on the chair. She glared at Zeke but stayed quiet. The others all noted that her hands stayed flat on the table, and, as much as she wiggled her arms, the hands didn’t move.

Blake, Zara, and Lina returned. Zara put one set of documents in front of Zeke before taking her seat.

“So, what now?” Lina asked.

“Story time. Rose, feel free to add any pertinent facts if I gloss over them.”

Lina looked around, “Who is Rose?”

“She is,” Zeke replied and waved a hand at Rose.

A copper cuff appeared around the supposed Rita’s right wrist. It stripped the glamour spell from her. The others all gasped or looked shocked as the dark-skinned, thirty-four-year-old Rita disappeared. A shorter, pale-skinned, twenty-five-looking Rose took her place.

“What did you do to Rita?” Lina cried in alarm as she looked at Zeke.

“No, the question is, what did she do to Rita? I do hope you just drugged her, Rose. Impersonating an officer of the law is bad enough.”