Bert interjected and explained how he’d already taken fingerprints from the glass.
“Holy shit, Mary,” Timothy exclaimed. “You go, girl!”
“I don’t have to tell you what a risk that was, do I?” Logan’s hard expression was staring right at her through the call.
“Um… no. Bert’s already taken care of that,” she muttered.
“Send me everything,” Sadie said. “I can run facial recognition software on the grad photo, and see what other records are out there. At least, we can get the friend’s name from past leases. And if the real Colin had any fingerprints on file from possible employment background checks, I can run the comparison program on them.”
Bert transferred the files while Mary continued her explanation. “I know it sounds far-fetched. Identity theft on this scale, with family members… it should be nearly impossible to pull off. But Diane said years went by without contact. If Colin’s appearance wasn’t that distinctive, if the roommate knew enough about the family to fake it, if he showed up at an emotionally charged time during a funeral when no one was looking too closely?—”
“It could work,” Logan said grimly. “Sadie, how fast can you work this?”
“Give me two hours for facial recognition and basic background checks. If I need to dig deeper, it might take longer.” Sadie was already typing, multiple screens lighting up around her. “But Bert, Mary… if you’re right about this, if Colin is actually an impostor?—”
“Then he’s dangerous in ways we haven’t fully appreciated,” Logan finished. “Which means you two need to be extremely careful. No more solo visits to Diane’s cabin, no confronting Colin with suspicions, no taking risks.”
“Understood,” Bert said, though Mary’s expression suggested she was less willing to promise complete caution.
“I’m contacting my Canadian liaison now,” Logan continued. “Updating them on your theory and the evidence you’ve gathered. They were already monitoring the situation based on the medication evidence, but this changes things. If Colin is an impostor with a history of violence, they need to move faster.”
“How much faster?” Mary asked.
“I’ll push for action within twenty-four hours. But Mary, Bert… until then, you maintain your cover. Stay close to each other, stay alert, and for God’s sake, don’t do anything to tip Colin off that you’re suspicious.”
“Roger that,” Bert said. “We’ll check in every four hours, more frequently if the situation changes.”
They disconnected, and he sat back in his chair, processing everything they’d just learned and theorized.
He turned his attention back to Mary. “You did good work.” Shaking his head, he met her gaze. “Risky as hell, but good work. That photograph, spotting the similarity, making the connection about identity theft. Everything. Fucking good luck.”
“I just hope I’m wrong,” she said quietly. “Because if I’m right, it means a young man might have died years ago and had his identity stolen by someone he trusted. And it means Diane has possibly been living with her nephew’s murderer, never knowing the man caring for her killed the real Colin. Or the man she thinks is her nephew is actually her brother-in-law’s illegitimate son.” Dropping her chin down, she groaned, “Oh God… too many conjectures to think about.”
“If you’re right, we’ll prove it. And we’ll make sure Diane is safe and that Colin, or whoever he really is, will be turned over to the Canadian police.”
Mary nodded, but he could see the fear beneath her professional competence. They might have uncovered something bigger than they’d anticipated, something darker. And until Canadian authorities moved, until Sadie could prove or disprove Mary’s theory, they were stuck on a ship with a potential murderer who couldn’t be allowed to realize they were onto him.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“Now we wait. We maintain our cover, keep eyes on Colin and Diane, and trust that Sadie and the other Keepers will work fast enough to get authorities moving before anything else happens.”
“And if something does happen? If Colin makes a move before authorities can act?”
“Then we intervene,” Bert said simply. “Whatever it takes to keep Diane safe, we do it. Even if it means blowing our cover and putting ourselves at risk.”
Mary reached out and took his hand, her fingers lacing with his. “Together.”
“Always together,” Bert agreed.
They sat in their stateroom for a while longer, holding hands and processing the implications of what they’d discovered. Outside the window, the Canadian coastline slipped past, beautiful and serene and completely at odds with the danger unfolding on the ship.
“I’m glad I’m not here alone,” Mary said.
He smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her softly. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with you.”
31
Mary couldn’t settle. She’d tried reading, tried reviewing the case files on her tablet, and tried organizing the notes they’d compiled over the past week. But her mind kept racing, cycling through possibilities and scenarios, each one more disturbing than the last.