"Sit down, Jon. Close the door."

He entered the glassed-in office, did as instructed, seated himself in front of Rachel Torres' desk. "What's up, Detective? I take it this is about something you couldn't tell me over the phone."

Wordlessly, she reached across the desk, handed him a couple of sheets of paper, stapled together.

He looked at the front page, began reading.

Sam Norman
aka Samuel Norman
Born: June 3, 1981
Steel Canyon Hospital

Father: Matthew Norman
Mother: Sarah Ann Norman

"Then he did exist!" Jon breathed, softly, looking up at Torres. He frowned....her expression was still stern.

He glanced down and continued reading.

Ezekiel Norman
Born: August 12, 1975
Steel Canyon Hospital

Father: Matthew Norman
Mother: Sarah Ann Norman

Jon Smith frowned, glanced up and down the sheet, then brightened. He looked up again. "Then he had a brother, an older b...."

He stopped in shock.

And stared at the page, feeling numb.

Slowly, as if in a dream, he flipped the page over, went on to the second sheet.

Matthew Norman
Born: July 23, 1951
Salamanca General Hospital

Father: Zebediah Norman
Mother: Alice Carol Norman

Jonathan Norman
Born: December 2, 1946
Salamanca General Hospital

Father: Zebediah Norman
Mother: Alice Carol Norman

It took a while before he could manage to speak again. "Then....I'm Ezekiel Norman?" he said, slowly, with difficulty.

The detective sighed. "We don't know for certain, Jon, but there is evidence that points in that direction. The dates match up, the little you remember seems to match up as well. It might be. There are other explanations, too. But it is possible."

Copyright terraforming.com, November 26, 2012