Mistaken Identity by Lisa Scottoline Read Free Book Online

look like you?”
    “There is a resemblance, a definite resemblance.”
    “A resemblance doesn’t cut it for identical twins.” Grady pursed his lips. “Identical twins look identical. They come from a single egg, fertilized by a single sperm that splits. The DNA in identical twins is the same, and I’m sure you can test for it. Why don’t you ask Connolly for a blood sample and we’ll find a lab?”
    “That’s bizarre, don’t you think?”
    “No. Not if you’re even considering representing this woman, which I hope you’re not, by the way.”
    “You don’t think I should represent her?”
    Grady laughed softly. “Under no circumstances should you represent her.”
    “Why not?” Bennie didn’t necessarily want to represent Connolly, but she didn’t like being told she shouldn’t. “Because she could be my twin?”
    “Not exactly.” Grady shook his head. “Whether she’s your twin or not, you shouldn’t represent her. You don’t know who she is.”
    “How well do I have to know someone before I take their case? My God, Grady, I’ve represented people I barely knew, even barely liked.”
    “But this one may be your twin, and that makes you emotionally involved. You’ll get all bollixed up. How can you prepare a defense and maintain your objectivity?”
    Bennie laughed abruptly. “You represented me once, remember? You were in love with me and you represented me.”
    “That was different,” Grady said, maintaining an even tone. If they were going to fight, he wasn’t going to let fly with the first round. A Civil War buff, Grady was never as quick into battle as Bennie. His study of war had only reinforced its futility. “We weren’t that involved then, it was the beginning. Besides, it’s not your field anymore. Connolly’s case is at bottom a murder case, not a police brutality case.”
    “It’s still cops. Who better to investigate cops than me?” Bennie plucked the photo from the table and held it protectively to her chest. “Not everybody can handle a case like this, and Connolly has a lousy lawyer.”
    “If you’re concerned, get her a good lawyer. The lawyer you’d hire for me.”
    Bennie considered, then rejected, the suggestion. “If there’s even a remote chance that we’re related, I wouldn’t want another lawyer to represent her.”
    “Why not? It doesn’t follow that because Connolly may be your twin, you have to be her lawyer. On the contrary.”
    Bennie felt momentarily stumped. Grady, a former Supreme Court clerk, was making complete sense as usual. He forced her to think; it was one of the things she loved best about him. But this issue was about feeling, not thinking, and she couldn’t help the way she felt inside, even as she knew her feelings wouldn’t stand to reason. At her core, Bennie believed that blood was everything. Blood
mattered.
If Connolly were her blood, then Connolly mattered. And if Bennie walked away now, she’d never know the truth.
    Grady sighed. “You’re gonna represent her, aren’t you?”
    “Yes,” Bennie said, and the answer surprised even her.
     
     
    “You comin’ to bed?” Grady asked. He stood in the door to Bennie’s home office, the hall light silhouetting the leanness of his form. Grady was a full six feet, the only man Bennie had met who wasn’t threatened by her height, and his limbs were long and sleek. He was naked except for a pair of boxers. Bennie knew from his not-so-subtle display that he was inviting her to make love, but she couldn’t accept tonight.
    “Can I get a rain check?” she asked, sitting at the computer keyboard. She was researching articles about the Della Porta murder, which she needed before she met with Connolly again. Resting at her feet was an overweight golden retriever, Bear. The dog was the exact color of pumpkin pie and his feathered tail started beating against the floor as soon as Grady crossed the threshold and walked over.
    “You can’t get a rain check, babe.” Grady put