Simon ignored the platter of fruits his supposed mom had sent out to the gazebo, where he and the man called Kendrick were having their discussion.
The gazebo was edged with well-trimmed flowers and not far from them was an artificial lake where different fish were bopping.
Everything about the surroundings was so beautiful to Simon.
He had never seen such beauty and opulence before, and he could only wonder what his Ma would think if she saw him lounging in a place like that when he was supposed to be looking for Mandy.
With slight annoyance, he forced himself to concentrate on what the man had been saying.
Simon didn't like that looking into the man's eyes made it seem like he was looking into his own eyes. And the nose. And…
Simon immediately squashed the thought. There was no way this story that the man was telling had anything to do with him.
He should have left if not because of the desperation he heard in the woman's voice earlier.
Still, as he sat listening to the man talk about how their son went missing in a park and has not been seen since then, he couldn't relate to the story, and he believed they were just wasting each other's time.
"This has nothing to do with me," he said finally as Kendrick finished talking.
"Well, I don't think you should be so sure of that yet. After all, you were just seven then."
"I can be sure because I know that my parents died and my Ma and Pa took me in. See? I am not your son. Please, can I go now?" he said while standing up.
"Well, I am a businessman and if there is something I have learnt all these years, it's that there is always more than one answer. You look too much like our son for this to just be a coincidence."
Simon sighed and said, "Have a good day, sir."
"Wait," Kendrick hurriedly stood and said, "Just do us a favour, okay?"
Simon patted his pocket to be sure his four hundred dollars were still there, as he asked, "What favour?"
"I know this might be a big ask, but can you give us a little bit of your hair?"
"My what?" Simon asked in surprise as he held his duffel bag tighter.
Kendrick smiled as he saw the gesture and said, "Don't get me wrong. We are not trying to harm you or take anything from you. It's just that we have never stopped hoping to find...our son. My wife always ensures that his room is kept clean, and we always make sure we keep him in our plans. We have had many people come to us over the years claiming to be him. But you… You look exactly like he would. Can you please indulge hopeful parents like us, so we can put this lead to rest? It would haunt us if we didn't at least try to verify it with a DNA test."
"DNA test?"
"It is the best option; I am sure you will agree."
Simon was sure he didn't agree with any of this madness, but then he couldn't shake off the look on Susan's face earlier.
He could only imagine what she must have gone through in the past twenty years.
The thought of his Ma being in such a situation grieved his heart and he knew she would have wanted him to help in any way he could.
He sighed and said, "Okay then. Maybe the bangs. I need a haircut anyway."
Kendrick gestured to someone behind Simon before saying, "Or you could have a full haircut if you want. I can get my barber to...
"Just take what you need," Simon said, even as he couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to get a haircut from the barber of such a man.
"Right. Just enough," Kendrick said with a wry smile that made him appear more handsome.
When a lady appeared almost immediately with golden scissors and a small platter, Simon raised his brow at Kendrick as he said, "You expected me to say yes."
Kendrick shrugged and said, "Let's just say I like to be prepared."
Simon shook his head with a reluctant smile.
Instead of annoyance, he couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for the man.
He sat to have his bangs trimmed.
Then, just as Simon thought it was over, the sharply dressed man with a buzz-cut and passive look came to meet the man who thought he was his dad.
Simon heard him say, "Dr. Jenkins said it would be faster if we used a cheek swab."
"What now?" Simon thought in exasperation.
Kendrick looked at him and seeing that he had already heard, he simply said, "Please,"
Simon shrugged and said, "Let's get it over with."
He was not surprised to see another lady step forward with a little tray with cotton swabs on it.
********
"Keep an eye on him but do it discreetly. If you lose him, consider yourself done." Kendrick Kane said to three of his men after Simon had left.
"Yes, sir," the men chorused and left immediately.
"Susan," he said as he saw his wife coming with his sister.
"You let him leave," she said without preamble.
Kendrick sighed as he sat. He reached for his glass of water, then moved his hand back as he looked at his wife's face.
She was trying so hard not to show the hope she felt, yet he could feel it.
Just as he could feel all her anguish all these years, as they had tried so hard to get their boy back, all to no avail.
He knew it would be a cruel hand of fate if this boy ended up just having an uncanny resemblance to their son.
"He is a grown man, Susan. We can't just keep him because we want to. We will do the necessary thing and the result we get will determine the next step. He didn't believe me. He was so sure that he was not our son. We can't force him to believe it, you know."
"But I know," she said in a heartfelt tone. "A mother knows these things."
"I still think you are making a big mistake," Alicia said as she reached for the fruit platter. "That boy is nothing but a fraud, and he just tried to kill your son."
"I don't know what happened between those two, but I don't think he wanted to kill anyone. Let's not jump to conclusions, okay?" Kendrick said firmly.
After chewing some grapes, Alicia said, "You are not seriously thinking of bringing that boy into our family, brother, are you? That would bring nothing but shame on us! Do you see how he looks? And his uncouth manners? How do you want Jordan to feel?"
The affable look on Kendrick's face turned stern as he said firmly, "I don't think I need you to tell me what to do with my family, Alicia. If you are so concerned about someone bringing shame to anyone, then I suggest you do better with your husband. I am going to do what is right for my family and I will worry about my son's reaction too. I don't need you to do that for me. Now, you can either eat your fruit and stop interrupting my discussion with my wife, or you can take it elsewhere."
"Kendrick," Susan chided, and she leaned over to pat Alicia's arm in comfort.
Alicia's mouth tightened even further at her brother's words, but she didn't get up.
Kendrick ignored her and turned to Susan as he said, "He allowed me to take some of his hair and cheek swabs so we can use them for DNA. I already have them sent to Dr. Jenkins. We will know soon enough. He seemed like a good lad and I know he would do the right thing once we got the evidence."
Susan nodded with a sigh. "Did you at least get his number so we can contact him?"
"No, he wouldn't give me, but I have some men following him. He said he was sure that the result would come back negative, and he wanted nothing to do with a place where they almost killed him and called him a liar too."
He reached over to hold her hand, then added, "If he is the one, we won't lose him this time."
She nodded again as her hand tightened around his.
Then she said in a near whisper, "You felt it too, right?"
Kendrick nodded. "Right. But then we need to be sure. Resemblance and feeling alone are not always enough in these things."
She nodded again and closed her eyes as if in prayer.
Kendrick thought back on his interaction with the boy.
Yes, he was almost certain that the boy was his long-lost son.
The test would be nothing more than a formality and when it came back positive, he was sure that the boy wouldn't be able to deny it anymore.
"Soon enough, this family will be whole again. Maybe Jordan will also shape up once his twin is back," he thought, hopefully.
Lost in their thoughts, the two didn't notice when Alicia picked up her phone and urgently sent a message to her husband.
"Dr. Jenkins is doing the DNA test."