Jack In The Box

“If your brother is dead, then who is that man in the asylum?” I asked.

“It can’t be Ezra. I...I was there with him when our car crashed. I was the only one who survived...unless...”

“Unless what?”

“Unless he didn’t really die and was in hiding for a long time.” Jack said.

“Do you think he killed all those people?”

I knew I’d voiced Jack’s concern because he went silent on the other end. A beat later, he said. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. If that man pretending to be me is in fact, Ezra, you need to be very careful. If they call me vicious, then it’s only because they haven’t met my brother yet. Alert the authorities and for godsake, Riley, don’t go alone in his room again.”

I didn’t mention the part where I kissed him. I realized that bit could wait.

“I promise, I won’t.” I assured him.

“This makes things more complicated.”

“But—.”

Before I could say another word, Jack hung up on me.

He really was in need of a good grilling for always cutting my call mid sentence.

I called Agent Flint early next morning. Thinking I had some lead, he asked me to come down to the station. Naturally, James was with me. He’d warned me against having any type of conversation with the fed in his absence.

Although I wasn’t scared of the agent, I was quite aware of his tactics of trying to fool me with his words. I sat in the office and tried not to show how pissed off I was about the other day when his team of officers had bulldozed their way into my apartment and nearly turned it upside down. I was quite certain my parents were rolling in their graves thinking how I’d come to turn from an innocent nurse to a suspect in a high-profile murder case. Anyway, the officers managed to find zero evidence in my house involving Jackson and that disappointed Agent Flint. He’d made up his mind that I was somehow involved and this was like a kick in his face.

“So, what information do you have, Miss. Frazer?”

“I’m sure you’re already aware that Jack was brought into the asylum recently and he’s been confined to a high security room.”

Flint looked bored. “I thought we weren’t wasting our time. What you’re telling me are facts. What I’m looking for is a solid lead, one that would help us in our investigation.”

“You didn’t let me finish.” I said. “I’m getting to that.”

“Please go on.” He urged me.

“The person in the asylum posing as Jackson is actually not him. It’s his twin brother Ezra.”

Flint stared at me for a good thirty seconds before he started laughing. “Is this some kind of a joke?” He threw a look at James who was seated silently by my side, occasionally stepping on my foot.

“I’m not making this up!” I insisted. “I’m sure of it.”

“You probably don’t know this but Ezra died three years ago in a crash. Jackson can give you a good account of the tragedy himself since he narrowly escaped with only a few injuries which is kind of strange, isn’t it? It’s like the man’s got some curse on his family. Getting them killed left and right.”

“It is possible that Ezra survived that crash and somehow lived and now...and now he’s--”

and

“Yes.”

you be so sure that the man is Jackson’s twin

his room the other night, neither could I say that I kissed him and the man didn’t kiss me back. “I...I just sensed it. He looks a bit different.

I knew the wheels were turning in his head and he wasn’t believing a word I’d said. “I’m not sure how you came to this bizarre conclusion, Miss Frazer but I can assure you that the man we have in the asylum is in fact Jackson Wolfe. You’re either trying to put us on a wrong trail, or repeating the

so hard to

you’re going to suggest that perhaps Ezra dug up

see

“And what is that?”

is manipulating you again. He’s making you see him as an innocent man, putting the blame on

precautions. If someone else dies, Agent,

mind, Miss. Frazer.” He said sarcastically. “I’d

So far he hasn’t said a

not Jackson but is in fact Ezra? Because as far as

just sensed it. Ezra has a scar near his forehead,

did you manage to notice such details? Unless you went to see him personally, you did that, didn’t

question.” James said. “She’s doing you a favor by

there’s a double. If he surrenders, the case takes a different turn and I will promise that if Jack is innocent,

about you get Ezra’s finger prints? If they don’t match with Jack, you would

you an

“Can I leave

gestured a hand towards the door. “You may, and think

huge, something that could tie up to the case. In one hour, I was disappointed and crushed. I’d managed to find almost nothing other than the school he attended and fact that he was an heir to a multi-million dollar company. There was nothing else, as if the search engines were bribed to keep from exposing any

photo with his brother when they were teenagers. Jack in a basketball

the stoic expressions was

brother to have so much hatred for someone who was practically a part of him? I’d heard that twins, especially the identical

drifted

by a knock at the door. I glanced at the clock. It was way past eleven p.m. Who could be at the

one. There was a knock again, this time a urgent and

it?” I called

No answer.

my pillow, loaded it

shoot!

to my

in my hand and clicked the safety into place. He

and my eyes were getting moist. He hugged me back, and softly he said. “I’m going

knew my eyes were still stained with tears when I looked at him. His hair had grown longer and the tips touched the collar of his bomber jacket that was matted in mud. I could tell he hadn’t washed his hair for days, the grease in it was pretty evident. His face had

said, a beat later

“I have some clothes

“Perfect.”

nicer, and cleaner. He smelled of my shampoo. The towel slipped down from his waist leaving him buck naked. He began dressing up slowly and when he

getting