Origin in Death (In Death #21)(68)

Her heart bounded. They'd known each other. How could they not? How could you look into your own eyes and not see?

As Evelyn led her away, she glanced over her shoulder. So did the child. Their eyes locked again, and there was another smile, a full one, a fierce one.

We'll get out, Deena thought. They won't keep us here.

"Diana is one of our treasures," Evelyn said. "Bright and questing, Quite athletic, too. While we focus on giving all our students the most well-rounded of educations, we do comprehensive testing and evaluations so we're able to showcase their strengths and main areas of interests."

Diana, was all she could think with emotions cartwheeling through her. But she said the right things, made the right moves, and was shown into Samuels's quarters.

Students were only admitted to this sanctuary when they were particularly good, or had committed some major infraction. She'd never been through the door.

She'd been very careful to blend.

But she'd been told what to expect, had been given the precise layout and specifications. So she concentrated on it now, on what needed to be done now, and forced all thought of the child away.

The suite was decorated in the school colors-blue and white. White walls, blue fabrics. White floor, blue rugs. Two windows west-one double window south.

It was soundproofed, contained no cameras.

There was security, of course, windows and door. And Samuels wore a wrist unit that held a communicator. There were two 'links, one for the school, one private.

A wall screen, and behind the screen a vault that held files on all students.

Tea was spread on a white table. Blue dishes, white cookies.

She took the chair she was offered, waited until Samuels poured tea.

"Why don't you tell me more about Angel?"

Despite her efforts, she thought of Diana. "She's my heart."

Evelyn smiled. "Of course. You mentioned she shows artistic abilities."

"Yes, she enjoys drawing. It gives her great pleasure. I want her happy, more than anything."

"Naturally. Now-"

"What an interesting necklace." Now, she thought, do it now, before you sicken. "May I?"

Even as Evelyn glanced down at the pendant, Diana was rising from her chair, leaning forward as if studying the stone. The scalpel was in her hand.

And into Evelyn's heart.

"You didn't recognize me. Evelyn," she added as Samuels gaped at her. Blood trickled onto her crisp white blouse. "You only saw what you expected to see, just as we thought. You perpetuate this obscenity. But then, you were created for that, so maybe you can't be blamed. I'm sorry," she said as she watched Evelyn die. "But it has to end."

She rose, sealing her hands quickly, moving to the screen. She found the control where she'd been told it would be, opened it, then used the decoder she'd tucked in her purse to unlock the vault.

She took every disc. She wasn't surprised or displeased to find a substantial amount of cash as well. Though she preferred electronic funds, paper would always do.

She relocked the vault, swung the screen back in place, secured it.

She left the room without a backward glance, set the privacy mode.

Unhurriedly, pulse galloping, she walked out of the building t: where the car and driver waited.

She breathed, just breathed as they drove toward the gates. When they opened, the pressure on her chest lifted a fraction.

"You were quick," the driver said softly.

"It's best to be quick. She never knew me. But... I saw Diana, and she did. She knew,"

"I should have done this part."

"No. The cameras. Even with an alibi, you couldn't beat the cameras. I'm smoke. Desiree Frost is already gone. But Avril Icove." She leaned up in the seat, squeezed Avril's shoulder. "She still has work to do."

The push of his name, and the considerable billions behind it, bagged Roarke a ten o'clock meeting with the acting CEO of the Icove Center.

"It'll be informal, and very preliminary," he told Louise as they were driven through ugly traffic. "But it gets us in the door."

"If Dallas is on the right track, the repercussions are going to be staggering. Not only the technology that's been developed underground, the explosion of the Icoves' reputation, and of this facility and all the others involved, but for God's sake, Roarke, the ethical, legal, moral dilemma of dealing with the clones themselves. Medical, legislative, political, religious wars are inevitable. Unless it can be buttoned up, covered up."

He shifted to face her, lifted a brow. "Is that what you'd chooser'

"I don't know. I admit, I'm torn. As a doctor, the science of it fascinates. Even bad science is seductive."

"Often more so."

"Yes, often more so. The debate on artificial twinning crops up from time to time, and while I'm opposed to it on a basic level, it's powerful stuff. In the end, too powerful. And too fraught. Replicating human beings in a lab, selecting traits, eliminating others. Who decides what are the parameters? What of the failures, as there must be in any sort of experimentation of procedures. And again, if she's on track, what of the temptation a man as reputable as Icove allegedly gave in to-to use those clones as commodities?"

"And if, and when, it gets out," he added, "people will be horrified and fascinated. Is my next-door neighbor one of them? And if he is, and pisses me off, don't I have the right to destroy him? Governments will vie for the technology. And yet, should those responsible go into history untainted? There has to be payment, balances. Justice. That's what Eve will think."