Read Online The Eve Genome by Joanne Brothwell - Free Book Online
Authors: Joanne Brothwell
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means, Kalan?”
“I’ve been going over and over it in my head, and I just don’t know.” Kalan rubbed his jaw. “I believe there are others besides NHGRI people who have an interest in our blood type.”
“I’m afraid this will cause us to lose sight of our goal, Kalan. The reason we came to Stonewood in the first place,” Marcus said to his brother. Then he spoke to me. “Not that the mystery surrounding your sister’s body isn’t of concern. But that’s not why we are here.”
This first impression of Marcus was not off to a good start. I already didn’t like him.
“Marcus, we can’t expect Adriana to want to help us find our mother right now. Her sister’s missing body is more urgent. We’ve never even met our mother. We’ve gone almost twenty years without her. I think we can wait a little longer.” Marcus pursed his lips together in response, but Kalan continued. “I personally think this situation with Analiese and Adriana is directly related to us. I bet we’ll find out about our mother in the process.”
Marcus looked skyward, his eyes almost a roll, but not quite. He was really not winning any points with me. “Fine. Where do you plan to start? NHGRI in Bethesda? Because if I have to pay for hotel, food and gas for days on end I’m going to have a problem.”
“Marcus, if you don’t want to come, you don’t have to. You can stay here and work on mom’s case, I just won’t be here to help you,” Kalan paused. “Maybe that’s a better plan. You stay, do some digging on your own, and we’ll head to Maryland. I’ll check in with you in a day or so.”
Marcus shrugged and peered at me, his mouth a tight line. “If that’s what you think is best. But I don’t know anyone here. It’s going to be a lot harder trying to navigate this city on my own.”
“I can introduce you to my friends, Tait and Zoe,” I said. “I’m sure they’d be willing to show you around and help out.”
Marcus’s expression brightened considerably. “Perfect, yes. When can I meet them?”
I dug my phone out of my purse and texted a joint message: Can u show some1 around Stnwood? Both responded almost simultaneously. Tait’s response was, Who is it? and Zoe’s was, K, who ?
“They said they would. I’ll hook you up tonight,” I said. I wanted to get to Bethesda as soon as possible, preferably without my falling-apart-at-the-seams mother.
Marcus smiled. “Great.”
#
Introductions were arranged for that night at Kalan and Marcus’s hotel. We met in the courtyard out back, where a pretty white gazebo was lit up inside with tiny white lights, lending a fairy tale feel to the evening. Outside, it was dusk, the mountains shadowed black against the indigo backdrop of the night sky. The autumn air was cool and crisp, and there was a faint scent of lilac in the air. Marcus and Kalan hadn’t yet arrived, so I took the opportunity to give Zoe and Tait the full explanation about Kalan and Marcus and the blood mystery we had in common.
Tait was first to respond. “This seems suspicious. The guy may as well have told you he is stalking you.”
“It’s not stalking if you tell the person immediately,” I said. “It’s not like he followed me around for days on end. He came and found me and told me.”
“Aren’t you a little nervous to go to Maryland alone with him?” Zoe asked.
Was I afraid? Did I even know what I was getting into here? I could be hooking up with a mass murderer or serial killer for all I knew. Blood spatter expert by day… I shivered and shrugged it off. “At this point, with my sister dead and her body missing, I’m not feeling particularly patient. I don’t want to babysit my mother, whose mental health is seriously deteriorating, and I also don’t want to go alone.”
Tait cocked his head to the
“I’ve been going over and over it in my head, and I just don’t know.” Kalan rubbed his jaw. “I believe there are others besides NHGRI people who have an interest in our blood type.”
“I’m afraid this will cause us to lose sight of our goal, Kalan. The reason we came to Stonewood in the first place,” Marcus said to his brother. Then he spoke to me. “Not that the mystery surrounding your sister’s body isn’t of concern. But that’s not why we are here.”
This first impression of Marcus was not off to a good start. I already didn’t like him.
“Marcus, we can’t expect Adriana to want to help us find our mother right now. Her sister’s missing body is more urgent. We’ve never even met our mother. We’ve gone almost twenty years without her. I think we can wait a little longer.” Marcus pursed his lips together in response, but Kalan continued. “I personally think this situation with Analiese and Adriana is directly related to us. I bet we’ll find out about our mother in the process.”
Marcus looked skyward, his eyes almost a roll, but not quite. He was really not winning any points with me. “Fine. Where do you plan to start? NHGRI in Bethesda? Because if I have to pay for hotel, food and gas for days on end I’m going to have a problem.”
“Marcus, if you don’t want to come, you don’t have to. You can stay here and work on mom’s case, I just won’t be here to help you,” Kalan paused. “Maybe that’s a better plan. You stay, do some digging on your own, and we’ll head to Maryland. I’ll check in with you in a day or so.”
Marcus shrugged and peered at me, his mouth a tight line. “If that’s what you think is best. But I don’t know anyone here. It’s going to be a lot harder trying to navigate this city on my own.”
“I can introduce you to my friends, Tait and Zoe,” I said. “I’m sure they’d be willing to show you around and help out.”
Marcus’s expression brightened considerably. “Perfect, yes. When can I meet them?”
I dug my phone out of my purse and texted a joint message: Can u show some1 around Stnwood? Both responded almost simultaneously. Tait’s response was, Who is it? and Zoe’s was, K, who ?
“They said they would. I’ll hook you up tonight,” I said. I wanted to get to Bethesda as soon as possible, preferably without my falling-apart-at-the-seams mother.
Marcus smiled. “Great.”
#
Introductions were arranged for that night at Kalan and Marcus’s hotel. We met in the courtyard out back, where a pretty white gazebo was lit up inside with tiny white lights, lending a fairy tale feel to the evening. Outside, it was dusk, the mountains shadowed black against the indigo backdrop of the night sky. The autumn air was cool and crisp, and there was a faint scent of lilac in the air. Marcus and Kalan hadn’t yet arrived, so I took the opportunity to give Zoe and Tait the full explanation about Kalan and Marcus and the blood mystery we had in common.
Tait was first to respond. “This seems suspicious. The guy may as well have told you he is stalking you.”
“It’s not stalking if you tell the person immediately,” I said. “It’s not like he followed me around for days on end. He came and found me and told me.”
“Aren’t you a little nervous to go to Maryland alone with him?” Zoe asked.
Was I afraid? Did I even know what I was getting into here? I could be hooking up with a mass murderer or serial killer for all I knew. Blood spatter expert by day… I shivered and shrugged it off. “At this point, with my sister dead and her body missing, I’m not feeling particularly patient. I don’t want to babysit my mother, whose mental health is seriously deteriorating, and I also don’t want to go alone.”
Tait cocked his head to the
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