Free The Judas Child by Carol O'Connell Page B

said. “There’s no mention of the organ abnormalities or the monozygotic aspect. Did you leave out those details so you could be first to publish?”
    “Certainly not!” William seemed appalled by Ali’s suggestion.
    But to Mortimer’s thinking, that didn’t mean it wasn’t true. “Surely William wasn’t the first to do a paper on the Kendall twins.”
    “I was the only one,” said William, somewhat offended. “Apparently the twins’ obstetrician never even considered the possibility. He probably delivered them with separate placentas—that sometimes happens. Any common doctor would have assumed they were fraternal.”
    Ali was leaning in for another shot at William. Mortimer headed her off, saying, “So except for the genitalia, the twins were exactly the same?”
    “Not exactly.” William happily settled into the lecture mode. “There would have been a notable increase in chromosomal differences as they aged. But they were much closer than fraternal twins.”
    Ali was about to speak, but Mortimer was faster, asking, “What about the brother? Did he have any problems?”
    “Physical problems? No,” said William. “Perfectly normal. He was the boy Susan should have become—but for some accident of chemistry in the womb. There’s a theory that the zygote only divides because it’s detected a flaw and wants to slough off the damaged—”
    Ali tinged her fork against a glass. A bit gauche in Mortimer’s view, but effective. “Could we get back to the autopsy report?”
    “Initially,” said William, “I withheld the most bizarre aspects out of compassion for the family.”
    Ali seemed unconvinced. “And the father was powerful—influential.”
    “That was never a factor.” The surgeon’s tone was scolding.
    And Mortimer thought William was right to admonish her, for there was quite a distinction between taking graft and the lesser crimes of pomposity and a ruthless rush to publish. He sipped his wine without really tasting it, hardly listening to William anymore.
    “Why should I have made the Kendall twins into a freak show for the tabloids?”
    “You didn’t need a full autopsy,” said Ali. “A rape kit might have cleared Paul Marie. A surviving sample for DNA—”
    “We didn’t do DNA tests. They weren’t admissible evidence in those days. And the semen was from a nonsecretor, so why bother to keep—” And now William realized he had just confirmed the molestation, and he slowly closed his mouth.
    Myles picked up the conversation. “Ali, you can’t type blood from a nonsecretor, but the priest was also a nonsecretor. His own lawyer went along with all of this. Less hostile pretrial publicity if they left out the rape.”
    “There was full disclosure.” William had recovered his composure. “Nothing was done under the table.”
    “But none of the autopsy evidence survived, did it?” She had her answer in the ensuing silence.
    Mortimer wound one thin hand around the neck of the wine decanter, debating whether or not he could pour with a steady hand. “They also found Paul Marie’s fingerprints on the child’s bracelet. That was rather damning.”
    “Not necessarily.” Ali stared at her uncle over the rim of her wineglass. “Susan used to hide things under the cushions of the choir pews. I think it gave her an excuse to go back to the church after choir practice. She probably had a crush on the priest. Every girl in the choir did. He had the most beautiful eyes.”
    Mortimer Cray longed to fill his glass again, to surpass a sick man’s allotment of alcohol. But the vessel was made of fine crystal. If his hand should tremble—
    Myles Penny reached out and took the decanter. He held it carelessly for a moment, almost as a hostage in an attempt to engage Mortimer’s eyes, but the psychiatrist only stared at his empty glass. Myles relented and filled the wineglass almost to the brim.
    “I can well believe the child was in love with the priest.” William was on the