"Thank-you Anderson. I'll read your full report tomorrow." Jean Innocent put her phone down and sighed. This was something that was not going to be easy to deal with. DI Anderson told her that Diane Turnbull was planning to release a statement to the press about the decades old and very brief relationship between her husband Nicky and the current Oxford Police Chief Superintendent. This isn't how she wanted Fiona to find out; especially as Laura told her Fiona did not want to know anything about her birth mother.

Trying to follow the letter of the law, Jean took some time drafting a letter, one that she hoped Fiona would understand.

Fiona's mother was at the hospital tidying up her daughter's things, getting ready for her to go home the next day. She bent down and picked up several items out of the bin.

"Fiona, I wish you hadn't thrown away these lovely cards you received. They could brighten up your room at home. Your dad and I are so happy you will spend a week with us while you recover."

Fiona didn't usually like her mother to fuss. She allowed it this time as she could see what an ordeal this all was for Flora McKendrick, first the car accident, then the kidnapping. Fiona closed her eyes as she processed the facts she had learned recently. Nicky Turnbull, the murdered criminal computer hacker turned celebrity, was her biological father. Fiona was kidnapped in lieu of her mother, who was too difficult to catch according to Diane. Obviously she must be in Oxford and was a powerful woman. It wasn't Dr. Hobson as she thought that day in the hotel suite, although she had the nagging suspicion that the pathologist knew more than she was saying. Well, she always said she did not want to know anything about her biological mother. Did she really mean that? She opened her eyes to sneak a look at the woman who raised her.

As she sealed the envelope and tucked it into her purse, Jean wished she could talk to Laura. This would have been easier with help from someone who understood. Knowing that her friend was busy battling her own demons Jean stopped off at the pub before going home to have a serious talk with her husband and son. The pub was quite full and she almost turned around and walked out until she spied a single seat available at the end of the bar.

"Is this seat taken? Oh, hello. You're…Laura's friend?"

"Yes, Ellen Jacoby. And the seat is free, I'm still a sad and lonely singleton, I'm afraid." She blushed. "You're the police chief or something aren't you? Do you know how Laura is? I heard she had an accident and I was hoping to check on her."

"I'm Jean Innocent. Laura is continuing to recover. It's complicated but rest assured she's in good hands now."

"That's a relief. I'm just back from Zurich and haven't even been home, wanting to check on Laura but found she had been released from the hospital. I didn't go straight round to her house because her brother is there and he's never really liked me. I called Alec to see if he would meet me here but as usual I was wasting my time."

Jean had a good memory for names. "Alec Pickman?"

"The one and only. It's a good thing too, one of him is enough."

"And yet, you still want to see him?"

"I've always been a bad picker of men."

Jean made a face. "We have something in common then."

"Surely you haven't ever been as silly as me."

Jean ordered a glass of wine for herself and another one for Ellen.

"Everyone has regrets, even me, especially me." Jean always observant, noticed Ellen's red-rimmed eyes and tense muscles in her face. "Everything all right?"

Ellen was eager to confide in this woman, who appeared so in control. "Along with my decades old obsession with Alec, I've been sitting here feeling remorseful about something else, to do with Laura."

"Does she know?"

"I'm not sure. If Laura knows then she is a very forgiving person. If she doesn't know I should tell her. I just never had the courage."

Jean sipped her wine. "You can practice on me if you like. I'm not looking forward to going home and would welcome a distraction." Jean did not promise to keep her confidence.

Before she lost her nerve Ellen blurted out, "Many years ago, a friend used Laura's name when she was admitted to hospital and give birth to twins. She asked me never to tell Laura."

Jean set her glass down. "It's complicated when one friend asks you to keep a secret from another." She stared reproachfully at Ellen. "You're talking about Ligeia Willard. That deception almost got you and Laura both murdered."

"I know."

"Ligeia is dead and her secret is out. Yours may come out too."

"But I never told anyone that I knew, not even Alec."

"And now you have told me. Three people can keep a secret only if two of them are dead."

Ellen opened her mouth in surprise. "I'd never kill anyone, even to keep a secret."

"Don't worry; I would never let you kill me."

"Are you going to tell Laura?"

"No, it's better if you tell her. And it wouldn't surprise me if she has already figured it out."

Their attention was drawn to the entrance as a drunken Alec Pickman entered.

Jean got up out of her seat with one last piece of advice for Ellen.

"Learn from your past mistakes and move on."

Robbie, his eye still focused on the scene in the back garden, deduced from their body language that the progress made between Laura and James had begun to unravel.

James was sure he did not hear correctly. "My sister?"

"Yes."

James knew that when he was born Laura lost a lot of blood and almost died. He recalled the photo Brad showed him of Laura's twin niece and nephew and formed his own conclusion.

"Are you telling me that I had a twin, that she didn't survive, that I…killed her?" James being James always believed everything was his fault. "Is this a memory that just came back to you?" He was torn between concern for her well being and anger at being kept in the dark about something this important.

"No James, this is something I could have told you before today."

Not wanting to say something in anger, he got out of his chair and stalked off towards the house.

"Wait, James."

James stopped and lit a cigarette. "For what, more half-truths?"

"You are not listening."

"You are not explaining." He exhaled some smoke. "To use your expression, you were always crap at communicating."

"I know. That's one reason I hadn't told you. I didn't want to just throw it out there and walk away. I do that to Robbie frequently."

"I don't know why he puts up with it."

"He does it because…look James can we talk about Robbie another time? This is important. You need to understand."

"Perhaps I would understand if you stopped talking in Morse code."

"James, your sister-"

He interrupted her. "What, didn't survive the birth because I was so big and smothered her? Is that what you are trying to say?" He looked horrified as he formed a picture in his mind of the image of his dead twin. "You wanted to spare me the guilt?" She must have carried the burden of the guilt for him all these years. How could he be angry with her for that?

"James, your sister is alive."

"My twin survived?" He did not want to lash out at her and tried to calm down.

"She's not your twin. You don't have a twin."

He gaped at her. "You mean you gave birth more than once?" All logic had escaped him at this point.

"No James, I'm not her mother. You share the same biological father. About two years ago she found me and gave me her history, before you and I acknowledged ours."

"I see." He lit another cigarette, this time just to annoy her. "Were you planning on introducing us? I'd like to meet her."

"You have met her."

Thanks to madmother2 for helping me get Jean back into the story.