Carbon Copy: Carbon Copy Saga, #1

By Terri Talley Venters

Carbon Copy

By: Terri Talley Venters

Lilly Allen has brains, beauty, and a trust fund. She's living in New York City and her career as a reporter is taking off. She's hoping the love of her life, Grier, will propose soon. She has it all, or so she thinks.

Grier Garrison, Create Life executive, is running the company while his father, Dr. Michael Garrison, is in the ICU awaiting a heart transplant. Grier knows the truth about Create Life and its shady side business. He fears Lilly and her twin brother, Luke, are in danger.

While working on two unrelated stories, stolen newborns and cloning, Lilly discovers a shocking connection. Horrific things are happening, but who is behind it all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terri Talley Venters
• Release date: Jul 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393034742

Terri Talley Venters

Terri Talley Venters, Author of Carbon Copy, Tin Roof, Silver Lining, Luke’s Lithium, Copper Cauldron, Cobalt Cauldron, Calcium Cauldron, Chromium Cauldron, Zirconium Cauldron, Sulfur Springs, Europium Gem Mine, Noah’s Nickel, Manganese Magic, Platinum Princess, Plutonium Princess, Under The Magic, Iron Curtains, Body Of Gold & Elements Of Mystery Terri received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and Master’s degree in Taxation from the University of Florida. She is a licensed CPA and a Second Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. She lives on The St. Johns River in Florida, with her husband, Garrison, and their two sons. For more information about Terri’s books, please visit her website  www.ElementsOfMystery.com. Terri is the daughter of Leslie S. Talley, author of Make Old Bones, Bred In The Bone, The Closer The Bone & The Bonnie, Bonnie Bone. For more information about Leslie’s Cozy murder mysteries, please visit her website www.MakeOldBones.com

Book preview

Chapter One

THIS BREAKING NEWS just in, Lilly Allen, WAOK anchorwoman, said. "Another newborn has been reported missing from Mercy Hospital. It is suspected the one-day-old girl has been abducted. Police have no suspects at this time.

"Also in the news, billionaire Dr. Michael Garrison, founder and CEO of Create Life Technologies, suffered a heart attack. He collapsed in the boardroom this afternoon. The sixty-year-old has been taken to St. Francis’ Hospital for surgery. Create Life has appeared in the news recently for cloning a genetically engineered cow which yields ten times the milk production of a normal cow.

More on these stories coming to you from ‘In the Morning News at 6.’ This is Lilly Allen reporting on your New York City WAOK weekend news. Thank you and good night, she said to the camera.

Holy shit, Lilly thought, surprised that she’d managed to report the news and remain composed. Dr. Michael Garrison, her boyfriend’s father, had suffered a heart attack!

Great job, Lil’. Way to speak on your feet, said Lenny the station manager. His New York accent still took some getting used to.

On the verge of tears, Lilly stood, surprised she didn’t have a coronary herself.  I need to get to St. Francis, she said to her boss, Lenny.

You’re my girl! Way to stay on top of the story, said Lenny. He walked away, oblivious to the fact the heart attack was more than just a story to her.

Of course, Mr. Levine, Lilly replied, utilizing her perfected ass-kissing tone. She smiled her pearly whites and remembered how her uncle Otis always told her to keep her halo polished.

Yeah, right, Lilly thought. Reporting the news story did not motivate her trip to the ER waiting room. She knew of more exciting things to do on a Saturday night. Stay on top of the story her ass! She needed to see Grier.

LILLY ARRIVED AT ST. Francis’ Hospital and headed towards the surgery waiting room. When she spotted the six-foot-four, tan, gorgeous, dirty-blond male, her heart skipped a beat. Even after five years, Grier Garrison’s striking appearance still took her breath away. His green eyes, strong arms, broad shoulders, narrow waist, long-muscular legs, and overgrown, sun-streaked wavy hair reminded her of Matthew McConaughey.

Lilly strode across the waiting room. Her gaze connected with Grier’s right before she reached him. He swept her up in his arms and held her tight for several seconds. Silently, she clasped him close. His chest heaved, and his body shook with sobs. Grier cried into Lilly’s long, blonde hair.

Grier, I am so sorry, Lilly said and clung to him. Her heart still raced as it did when they’d met on a blind date.

Dad’s going to be fine, he said. His hands circled Lilly’s tiny waist.

Bullshit, after his first heart attack, you knew this would happen again, and he would end up with a new heart at the top of his Christmas wish list, she said.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dad will get a new ticker, and he’s going to be fine, Grier said.

Men, she thought. She never understood communication between the sexes—or the lack thereof.

How’d you know about my dad? Grier asked.

"I know everything... Duh." She tried to make light of the situation and failed miserably. Lilly possessed this tendency to put her foot in her mouth at inappropriate times. Grier said it’s like she didn’t have a filter on the words exiting her mouth. He jokingly referred to this as her foot-in-mouth disease. At least, the disease suppressed itself in front of the camera.

I was sitting next to him when it happened. The executives had crowded together in the Create Life Board Room. When the accountants announced the earnings projected to fall short, my dad put his hand on his chest. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, and he took a deep breath. Then he put his other hand on my shoulder for support. My dad stared at me, his voice broke, and he just collapsed into my lap.

I’m so sorry, Grier. I just reported the story live on the weekend news. I read it on the teleprompter in front of the camera with millions of people watching. It was an awful way to hear about your dad, Lilly said.

Look, here comes the doctor now, Grier said.

He’s going to pull through, but just barely, the doctor said.

Can I see him? asked Grier.

Two minutes only, then go get some sleep. He’ll be waiting for you in the ICU by this afternoon. He’ll make it this time, but I’m putting him on the heart transplant list. Mr. Garrison, if your father doesn’t get a new heart soon, he’ll be dead within a month.

Chapter Two

LILLY WOKE UP NUDE the next morning in her New York City apartment. Her arms and legs entangled with Grier’s. He still slept. She wasn’t about to wake him up, so she watched him sleep.

Despite a full night’s sleep, exhaustion still clung to him. Her heart went out to Grier. To be on the verge of losing a close family member had to feel awful, but to have it happen a second time? No wonder he embraced her, even in his sleep.

His parents had divorced during his childhood, and Grier grew up only seeing his father two weekends a month. Even now, Dr. Michael Garrison seemed more married to his work. The long hours in the research lab on top of his obstetrics practice took its toll on his marriage, his only son, and now his heart.

Lilly didn’t know her own father, the prominent Edward Allen of Charleston, South Carolina. He died before the birth of his twins, and her mother never remarried. Lilly’s mother, Charlotte Allen, actually conceived just before Edward’s death. He never even knew of his imminent fatherhood. Charlotte’s pregnancy proved miraculous. They’d tried for so many years to have a child, and their hopes had almost dissipated. Her mother consulted a fertility specialist. Of course, Lilly and her twin brother, Luke, theorized about their mother’s difficulty with conception—it required Charlotte to have sex.

With the thought of a hot shower as motivation, Lilly slid out of Grier’s embrace and begrudgingly exited her warm, cozy bed. The invigorating water sprayed down on her exhausted body, rejuvenating her. Lilly luxuriated in the clean freshness. After moisturizing from head to toe, she donned her favorite, soft, blue, robe.

As Lilly exited the small bathroom, the heavenly smell of fresh ground espresso wafted through the air. Grier prepared their cappuccinos since her inadequate skills in this area forced Grier to make them according to his stringent specifications. She enjoyed this perk.

Whatcha makin’? she asked with an exaggerated Southern accent. Lilly squeezed into her cramped, Manhattan kitchen.

Grier was ladling the frothed milk into their cappuccinos. The fragrant cinnamon of his famous sticky buns permeated the kitchen as she kissed his lips good morning.

Why can’t you just be surprised? He shook his head in frustration.

Sorry, she said. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have this same conversation every time he slept over at Lilly’s. Perhaps she’s not perfect after all, she thought. Nah.

The cinnamon sticky buns emerged from the oven, and Lilly and Grier took their late breakfast on the terrace.

Should we cancel our trip to the Keys?

No, you should still go with your mother and Luke. Enjoy every second with your family while they’re still here, Grier said and dropped his chin.

But you need to stay here with your dad.

Grier nodded his head. I called the hospital. Dad is in the ICU already.

Do you want me to go with you? she asked.

How ’bout you meet me there later?

Sounds good. How long does he have to wait?

Months probably, and he doesn’t have months. So I’m going to make some calls. He looked away.

Who the hell do you call for a heart?

Chapter Three

LILLY NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH a million things before her trip. She’d arranged a ten-day vacation starting in the Florida Keys with Luke, Mother, and Grier. She prayed Grier would still join them. But with Dr. Garrison in the ICU waiting for a new heart, the odds of Grier leaving his father’s bedside were slim to none.

Besides work, Lilly needed to pack, run errands, and shop on Madison Avenue because the next few days would fly by. At least, she hoped they would. She craved some down time in the sun.

Lilly and Luke arranged to meet their mother at the Miami airport and drive together to the Florida Keys. Getting their mother to agree this would be a great trip for the Thanksgiving holiday was like pulling teeth.

It’s not like we’re asking to you cook, Mother, Lilly recalled telling her.

I’ve been to the Keys, her mother had said.

Twenty-five years ago.

Ok. Ok. But I want to remind you I’m only doing this to see my sister, Clarice, she’d said.

Yes, Mother, Lilly said, not speaking the other words inside her mind. Her very dominant and demanding mother forced Lilly’s submission.

Lilly didn’t understand why her mother never wanted to go to the Florida Keys, especially during this optimal time. It wasn’t too hot or too crowded. She looked forward to spending a whole week bumming around Key Largo and Key West.

After a week in the Florida Keys, they’d drive up the east coast of Florida to Daytona. Aunt Clarice and Uncle Otis ran a bed and breakfast in a historical home. Mother reserved all of the rooms for Thanksgiving weekend. Clarice wished to cook a feast for everyone.

Like Lilly, her twin cousins Kitty and Pat were also University of Florida alumni. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, everyone would drive to Gainesville, Florida, for the Florida vs. Florida State football game. Lilly couldn’t wait to be back in Gainesville. Hell, she couldn’t wait to get out of town, period.

With a few hours to kill before meeting Grier at the ICU, she looked outside. Dark clouds obscured the sky, and rain poured down, killing her desire to shop on Madison Avenue.

Lilly plopped down on the couch and retrieved her remote control. She leaned back and prepared herself to dissect her last newscast. Her tabby cats, Summer and Soli, short for Solstice, jumped onto her lap for their much anticipated scratch behind the ears. The soft rumble of their purrs brought a smile to her lips.

Relief poured through her as she watched how well she’d kept her shock from showing on her face when she read about Dr. Garrison’s heart attack. Her ego inflated over her triumph, Lilly dared to compare herself to the CNN reporters and switched to the national news channel, incredulous at the words pouring out of the male reporter’s mouth—who’d’ve thunk.

Lilly cringed. She hated it when reporters used trendy slang because it gave them all a bad name. And she didn’t know where to start criticizing the reporter’s wardrobe. Although it pained her to watch a fellow journalist look bad and screw up on television, she still laughed.

Soli’s ears rotated at the sound of keys unlocking the door, announcing Luke’s arrival. Soli abandoned Lilly and ran to greet her owner, as if a cat could truly belong to anyone.

Hey! Look at you, you little hussy. Luke walked into Lilly’s apartment, conveniently located across the hall from his own.

Lilly flagged him off without making eye contact and continued watching the rest of today’s news.

Doing your homework, eh? Luke asked.

Uh-huh, she said, so eloquent for a University of Florida graduate with a degree in journalism.

Still in his FDNY uniform, he took a cold beer from the refrigerator and planted his six-foot frame on the wrought-iron chair. No way she’d tolerate his grungy body on her sofa. For fraternal twins, they shared a lot: the same height and cerulean blue eye color, but she drew the line at dirty furniture.

Mom would crap in her pants if she saw you in your robe at five-o’clock in the afternoon.

Whatever. She turned off the television and smiled at her brother. Besides, I don’t think our mother has ever ‘taken a crap’ in her life.

You’re right. He laughed and shook his head. How’s Grier’s dad?

He’s in the ICU now. I’m fixin’ to go see him. Lilly clenched her teeth at how easily she lapsed into Southern slang.

Can I come, too?

Of course you can. Grier would appreciate it.

Alrighty then, I’ll go hose off and still be ready before you even figure out what to wear.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. She rose from the comfort of her cozy nest.

What am I going to wear? Since she would appear on the air tonight, a pant suit seemed appropriate. Unlike the New Yorkers who wore mostly black, Lilly preferred a more colorful wardrobe. Opening her oversized closet, she scanned the various options and admired the closet organizers she’d installed without the aid of a man.

Pulling out her burgundy, Armani, wool, pant suit and coordinating scarf, she hung it over the top of the door. She pulled the rich fabric over her long legs and buttoned the pants at her tiny waist. She buttoned the blazer over her silk blouse, loving the softness on her skin. She switched to her burgundy, Jimmy Choo handbag with a snakeskin pattern and let the term, label whore escape from her thoughts.

Lilly reappeared into the living room, shocking Luke with her promptness. Of course, he’d already accomplished the four Ss: shit, shine, shower, and shave. Adorned in his black everything, Luke smoothly transitioned to New York’s color of choice. Nodding his approval of Lilly’s polished appearance, he gave her his arm as they headed for the door. Lilly and her twin resembled the Mattel dolls—Barbie and Ken.

Why do I sense you’re not just going to the hospital? she asked. Suspicious his itinerary included Grier, beer, and naked dancing girls, she decided not to probe any further. Sometimes ignorance was bliss.

Chapter Four

GRIER’S HEART DROPPED at the sight of his father in the ICU. He approached the bed, sickened at the weak form before him. The machines chirped, monitoring the tubes and wires connecting Michael Garrison to life support.

Uuuh, Grier? Michael moaned, and his eyes fluttered open.

Hey, Dad. You’re awake. How do you feel?

Like crap. Michael grimaced.

You’ve been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours. Grier grabbed his father’s hand.

Not just that, I feel like crap about Create Life, Michael said.

Why? It’s seen better years, but it’s still a strong company, Grier said.

It’s not the money, son. It’s what they’ve done. And what Tom-Tom will do next.

Tell me, Dad.

Baby Cay and the clones. Tom-Tom cloned humans for black-market organs, adoptions, and research. Michael’s eyes widened in horror.

I know, Dad. I can’t believe it myself. Grier shook his head.

We have to stop them, stop Tom-Tom. He is evil, Michael said. He tried to sit up. His face strained from the effort, and he slumped back down.

But how, Dad?

Make Tom-Tom think you’re on his side. Destroy the research data, then save them all. I’m going to die soon, and I don’t want to go to hell for what I’ve allowed to happen, Michael said.

You’re talking crazy. You didn’t allow it to happen. No one knew what Tom-Tom did at Baby Cay, until it was too late. You’re still here. You’re not going to die and you’re not going to hell. I’ll get you a new heart, I promise,