“Shorthand,” she said. “They used very few words to communicate, and yet, both understood exactly what was said.”
“I understand that you have said you could pick them out of a police lineup by their eyes.”
“I did say that, and I’m waiting for somebody to take me up on it.”
“We may well do that, if we can locate them.”
“I believe you can locate them about a mile down the road, at their house,” she said.
Olshan sat up even straighter. “They’re on the island?”
“Are you sure?” asked Agent Paul.
“I believe I may have put a shotgun pellet or two into one of them last night, right over there on the back porch.”
Both men got up, walked over to the window, and examined the marks left by the shotgun. “Is this armored glass?” Olshan asked.
“Ostensibly,” Stone said. “You will note that only two pellets penetrated the glass. If the pane had not been armored, it’s likely the better part of it would have shattered.”
“Mr. Barrington, may I ask why you live in a house with armored glass?”
“It came that way,” Stone replied. “I inherited it from a cousin who was a career CIA officer, and it is my understanding that it was built to the Agency’s specifications.”
“I can confirm that,” Lance said.
“Mr. Cabot, is it?”
“It is.”
“Do the specifications include a security system?”
“They do, but it did not operate as intended. Why, is being investigated as we speak.”
“I see.”
“What else do you see?” Carly asked. “I’d be grateful for your insight, if such exists.”
“I believe you have drawn all the correct conclusions,” Olshan said, “except for your untested theory about the police lineup.”
“Then test it,” she said. “I’ve told you where to find the twins.”
“It’s not the sort of thing that can be managed on the island. We would need the cooperation of the Connecticut and Maine State Police, and the use of one of their facilities. If we did it any other way, we would be liable for any failure of the test.”
“Failure by me, you mean?”
“Well, yes, for want of a better word.”
“‘Me’ is a perfectly good word, in the circumstances,” she said.
“First, we’d have to arrest them, then...”
“I don’t see why that’s a problem.”
“We must have a charge.”
“How about the rape and murder of an FBI agent and the rape and attempted murder of his companion?”
“There are other considerations,” Olshan said.
“Political ones?” Stone asked.
“Well, yes. The twins have already been pardoned by the governor for the murders of their parents. We understand that their father was a classmate and friend of the governor at Yale.”
“Are you afraid that, if you arrest them, the governor will pardon them again?”
“There is that to consider,” Olshan said. “My superiors are, ah, sensitive about such matters.”
“Carly,” Stone said, “I believe these gentlemen require a smoking gun.”
“No gun was used.”
“I speak metaphorically. They require better evidence than bright, blue eyes.”
“Like DNA from a rape kit?”
Olshan looked really surprised this time. “A rape kit exists?”
“The examination was made,” Carly said. “Last I heard, it was in the possession of the New Haven police.”
“What lab was it sent to?”
“I have no knowledge of the lab preferences of the New Haven police.”
“Then I think our next step is to run down that kit and its report.”
“And would the rape kit constitute a smoking gun?” Carly asked.
“If it was properly conducted and the results properly examined, retained, and preserved under the proper circumstances.”
“Tell me,” Carly said, “do identical twins have identical DNA?”
Olshan looked at her blankly. “I have no idea,” he said. “I’d have to research that.”
Stone spoke up, “I’m told that the DNA of identical twins can have differences.”
“What is the source of your information?”
“Impeccable,” Stone replied, holding up his iPhone. “Siri.”
33
The two FBI agents rose to leave. “Ms. Riggs...”
“Why don’t you just call me Carly,” she said. “Everybody else does.”
“Carly, you mentioned that the twins are in residence at their home?”
“I did.”
“Would you kindly show us where that is?”
Carly thought about it for a moment. “What kind of car are you driving?”
“A Chevrolet four-door sedan, a Malibu, I believe. A couple of years old.”
“Does it have a government sticker on the door?”
“Um, I don’t know,” Olshan said.
“Does it have a government license plate?”
“We’ll have to check,” he said.
“I’ll come with you.”
They walked out to the car, which was as Olshan had described it.
“There,” Carly said, pointing at a front door. “I believe that sticker identifies the car as government property.” She walked around to the rear. “You gentlemen are not exactly undercover, are you?” she asked, pointing at the license plate, which read USGOVT, along with a number.
“Why should we mind if they know we’re government?”
“Because you don’t want them to know anything more about you than they already do.”
Olshan looked around. “Where are we going to find other transportation on this island?”
“We’ll borrow Stone’s car,” she said, and went inside for the keys.
“What’s up?” Stone asked.
“These two doofuses want to tool around the island in a government vehicle with badges all over it.”
He handed her a key. “Take the station wagon.”
“Thank you.” She went back outside. “Did you bring a change of clothes with you?” she asked Olshan.
“Well, yes. For downtime.”
“Go into the garage and lose the suits, hats, ties, and white shirts, and put on the most casual clothing you have. Right now, you’re the only people on the island dressed in suits and ties.”
They got cases out of the trunk and went into the garage.
They came out wearing short-sleeved plaid shirts and khakis.
“Do you always wear wingtips with khakis?” Carly asked.
“Ah...”
“Do you have baseball caps?” Carly asked.
“Yes, but they have FBI on them.”
“Let’s pop into the village store and get you some better gear.”
She drove them into the town and took them into the shop. “Hey, Billy,” she said. “It’s Carly, Stone’s friend.”
“Hey, Carly. Who are the two dweebs?”
“We need something that makes them look less dweeby.”
Billy waved a hand. “Knock themselves out.”
They left a few minutes later. Olshan wore a yellow V-neck sweater and a Sam Snead — style straw hat. Agent Paul wore a red windbreaker and a matching ball cap that simply read MAINE. And they both wore sneakers.
Carly stopped them on the way out and went over them for tags. “Now,” she said, “you are presentable, which is to say, unnoticeable. Hop in, I’m driving.”
Billy watched them from the front porch.
“Billy, you want to come along for camouflage?”
“What am I camouflaging?”
“Two obvious FBI agents.”
She introduced them, and they all got into the car, Carly and Billy in the front seat.
“Are we supposed to be looking at real estate?” Billy asked. “Is that the idea?”
“Yep.”
“Then why don’t they have wives? No man looks at houses without his wife.”
“They’re gay,” Carly said.