Counterfeit Son Read Online Free

eyes, and she was trying to smile at him, although her lower lip was trembling and her eyes were wide and glittering with unshed tears. But the man—he had Cameron's own long nose, and his too-big ears. And he had the same hazel eyes. Cameron couldn't believe it.
    "Dad?" he tried to say, and the word came out a croak.
Not "Pop,
"he thought,
not "Pop" ever again.
    "Yes," the man said, blinking his eyes rapidly. "Neil—oh, Neil. We'd nearly—" He broke off abruptly.
    Cameron turned to the woman. She was crying now, silently, tears slipping down her cheeks as she tried to smile.
    "Mom?"
    "Baby—" And suddenly her arms were around him, enfolding him, smothering him. He went rigid with shock, his brain screaming at the memory of strong arms crushing him against another body. But this embrace was different—he shut his mind to the other vision and leaned against her, breathing the soft flower scent of her hair.
    "When can we take him home, Dr. Oshida?" the man asked. "Tonight?"

    "No," Dr. Oshida said firmly. "I need to complete some tests before we can release him, Mr. Lacey, and some of the labs aren't open over the weekend. You or your wife will be welcome to stay with him, of course, but I can't let him go home before sometime on Monday, at the earliest."
    "I'll stay," the woman was saying. "I can stay through the rest of the weekend, and I'll call the museum and tell them I won't be in the first part of the week. Glenn can take over for a few days—he's always wanted the curator job, anyway."
    Cameron wondered who would stay with Neil's brother and sister. Their father? Their mother didn't seem worried about them. He supposed she was just so relieved to get Neil back, she wasn't thinking about the kids who hadn't disappeared.
    "What tests?" Mr. Lacey asked, his voice expressionless.
    Dr. Oshida lowered his voice. "We've taken complete X rays, but we also need to run a CAT scan and a battery of psychological tests—"
    "Oh, but—" The woman released Cameron and sat on the side of his bed, one arm around his shoulders. He felt confused and frightened. Could those tests prove that he wasn't Neil?
    "No." The man's voice was flat.
    "But, Mr. Lacey—" the doctor began.
    Investigator Colbert spoke for the first time. "This is part of an official investigation, Mr. Lacey."
    "I understand that. Dr. Oshida may run any tests the police and your task force require to check Neil's physical condition," the man said. "But his family will be the judge of what psychological examinations he needs."

    The doctor and the investigator glanced at each other. Then Dr. Oshida said, "Mr. Lacey, I explained that this trauma may have caused amnesia and other psychological problems—"
    "I understand," the man said. "I appreciate your concern, Dr. Oshida. But Neil is coming home with us as soon as the last physical tests are complete. We will arrange for private counseling as soon as he has settled in, and it will be with a therapist who is not answerable to the police. As long as Neil stays in the hospital, my wife or I will remain with him at all times, and if you attempt to order any unnecessary examinations or cause any delays, I will apply for a habeas corpus to immediately remove my son from this facility. Do we understand each other?"
    Investigator Colbert nodded. "Perfectly."
    Dr. Oshida said stiffly, "We will require the dental records to confirm your identification."
    "Of course. We'll have the children's dentist fax them to you Monday morning. Feel free to give Neil a full dental examination before he leaves so you can be sure of the match."
    Cameron wondered what had happened to the toeprints, whatever they were, but the man—his
father,
he reminded himself—was staring at him. "Personally, I'm already convinced," he told the doctor.
    Dr. Oshida looked back and forth from him to the man. "Yes," he said, smiling gently. "I can understand why. It's too bad we couldn't have the maternity ward toeprints to make a positive identification