A young woman with a cascade of curly black hair gestured at Jan, who had just entered the small Japanese restaurant, which was supposed to be the meeting point. Was this the assassin? She’d thought it would be a man, naturally. Still, she walked to the table and said: “I’m Jan Morrigan.”

          “I know. I’m Ashley Black. Sit down” the woman whispered, and Jan had to lean forward over the table to hear her properly. The woman wasn’t doing it for the fear of being heard, though. “Doctor once told me it’s a miracle I can speak at all.” Jan noted an old scar across her throat, as if it had been cut, and another one on her cheek. “But it hurts, so don’t make me do lots of it. Tell me what you want for your money?” Ashley’s eyes were strange, Jan had never seen anything like them; the left was deep green, and the right was dark, almost black. Her frame was quite small, but tightly muscled, and seemed to be covered in little tattoos depicting different looking dragons, some intertwining with each other in caress or struggle.

       “Finished staring at me?” Ashley remarked.

         “Sorry, it’s a bit hard to avoid...” Jan started.

         “Well, yeah, for two kinds of people, sure--those with lots of money, and those who want to die. Not so much difficulty in it for others. Get on with it.”

         “Uh... Yes.” Jan begun nervously--she had lots of money. “I have an identical twin sister, Jen. I- I... This sounds horrible, but...”

         “I don’t care. You say who dies, they do.” Ashley said and Jan felt her cold stare.

             “Ah, damn it. I want you to kill my sister; I hate her! She’s a horrible bitch, always makes my life hell, and says she’s me, and... and...” Jan blurted out the story of her life, and Ashley seemed to listen, but not care. “She’s not good at anything, but takes credit for things because she looks like me, and steals my boyfriends, for God’s sake! Hell, I’d want to make it slow and painful for her, like she has made my life for me!” Jan cried.

   “That’s not my style. Can’t promise that, I’m a professional. But I’ll see what I can do.”

   Jan wasn’t quite sure if she’d been overdoing this in her agony, but didn’t take it back. “Right. So is this settled, then. I have already transferred the money to the account you gave me.”

   “If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here. One more thing.” Ashley reached into a pocket of her leather vest and brought out a small silver necklace, shaped like an ankh. “Wear this, under your clothes, don’t let your sister see it. I wouldn’t want to kill the wrong one by accident...” Jan gulped, she had thought of this also. “...I have a perfect record, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

   “Uh, if you don’t mind me asking... How’d you know to give me this? You guessed...?”

   “I don’t guess. Just happened to have that thing and thought it’d do the trick. If you have a better idea, that’s OK.”

   “Ah. No, this is fine.” Jan said, and slipped the ankh under her blouse. Ashley gestured her to leave. She stood up and walked out. She felt nervous, but relieved. Finally, finally, she’d be able to live a real life, without Jen.

   Jan hated to live in the same house with her sister, but when their parents had died in a car accident, neither had agreed to either give up her part of the ownership, or to sell the house, so they were more or less forced to share it. She couldn’t be sure whether her sister was home or not, as the house was so large, and they tended to stay out of each other’s way unless there was a special reason to do otherwise, or it couldn’t be avoided. It was just the two of them in the house most of the time, if there weren’t dates around. They could have afforded servants, but preferred to have a cleaning lady to visit regularly, and as both of them always ate out, there was no need for a chef either. Jan went up the stairs to her room; she wasn’t going out tonight. There would be plenty of time, when she’d finally be free. Jan shivered in excitement as she thought of the assassin liberating her life, and went for a hot bath.

         Next morning brought a phone call from one of the city’s most eligible bachelors, Derrick Vinston. It was sort of surprising, but not really, Jan was used to getting attention from men of significant stature. Jan didn’t know Derrick from before, except by reputation and appearance, but he explained that he’d seen her modeling (which she liked to do as a hobby even though she didn’t need the money), and that she had immediately caught his eye. Jan bit her lip, excited over the prospects as Derrick explained he wanted to invite her for a little special time on his yacht later in the evening. She immediately agreed in her mind, but of course didn’t sound too eager in her answer. What a wonderful catch Derrick Vinston would be to show off at parties, and talk about long after he’d been dumped.

   Catching herself in the mirror, Jan decided she needed a new dress, so shopping would be today’s program, in addition to keeping Derrick’s phone call off her sister’s ears. She kind of hoped the killer wouldn’t strike today, though. It would be a bother to fake grief if a phone call would come while she was with a special someone. Well, perhaps she might just turn her phone off anyway; it was Derrick Vinston after all... But still, you had to keep all possibilities open...

  The evening came quickly, and found Jan sitting in a hired limo in her new dress. She was a bit irritated by the fact she’d had to choose one that would let her hide the ankh necklace underneath, so she couldn’t show the necessary cleavage. It was doubtful that murderer would appear there, though, but she didn’t want to take any risks with that woman, Ashley--creepy bitch.

         Derrick’s yacht wasn’t as big as she had expected, Jan noted, but he probably had several of them. And it was still a Swan, the Rolls-Royce of boats, you’d have to be in good wealth to afford even one of those.

         There was no sight of anyone on the pier or the deck, but lights were on in the boat, so Jan headed for the cabin. “Helloo” she called. “Derrick? It’s me, your date, Janice Morrigan.” There was no answer, but the hatch opened when she tried it. She took the steep stairs, which descended inside the boat. Everything inside was carved of exotic woods and fabrics, as Jan noted for her pleasure. However, her good feelings were soon diminished when a long-haired figure sitting on one of the chairs, back turned at Jan, caught her utmost attention. It couldn’t be... She rushed forward.

         “Jen!” Jan screamed at her sister, the bitch had somehow found out of her date and come here posing as her to steal Derrick’s affection. She was stupefied to find her twin image strictly handcuffed to the table on front of her, which was bolted to the floor, with her mouth bound shut by duct tape.

         “Mmph!” Jen accented wide-eyed.

         “What the hell...” Jan wondered and ripped the tape off Jen’s mouth (not too nicely), but her suspicions were answered by a coughing whisper from behind her. It was impossible to mistake.

         “Hi girls.” It was that killer, Ashley Black. Jan turned and saw her leaning against the stairs that where the entrance to the cabin. It was her sister who spoke first, however.

         “What are you doing, damn it, why did you tie me up!” Jen raged with a shrill voice. “It’s her you’re supposed to put away!” she nodded her head towards Jan, who didn’t know where her sister had gotten the hint, but she was thankful for the precaution. She produced the ankh necklace from underneath her clothes and showed it to Ashley, grinning at her sister, and feeling only slightly irritated by the fact of this ruining her evening with Derrick Vinston.

         “Tsk tsk” she said. “I’m Jan.”

         “What? Where’d you get that...?” Jen sounded puzzled, and Jan froze as she noticed a silver chain around her twin’s neck. She grabbed at it, and on it was attached an exactly identical piece to the one the assassin had given her.

         “No...” Jan quickly turned at Ashley who was smirking with the unscarred side of her face. “You have to believe, I’m Jan, that’s Jen.” She pointed at the seated twin.

         “Of course I am! What is going on?” Jen wailed. “Where did you get that necklace... How’d you find out?”

         “What?” Jan said.

         “What?” Jen said.

         “I’m Jen, that’s Jan!” Jan lied.

         “I’m Jan, that’s Jen!” Jen lied.

         “Oh” Jan said.

         “No” Jen said.

         They both turned to stare at Ashley who was brushing her curls in the meantime. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s not my fault you both hired me to kill the other. My part is just to get the job done.” She shrugged.

         “What, no, stop! The deal’s off!” Jan and Jen said.

         “Hmm guess technically the client could stop the hit. I just don’t know which one is which... Too confusing, I value my perfect record. I’m off to sink this thing somewhere. Bye. The boat isn’t included in the expenses, I had to kill the drug dealer who owned it anyway, he’s in that closet with a cutthroat in case you were wondering. And Derrick Vinston’s off on Aruba or some such place, I just hired a guy to call you.” Ashley started climbing the stairs.

         “But, but, but, but...” Jen and Jan complained.

         Ashley turned, remembering: “Oh, yeah, I can’t promise about this being particularly painful, but it’s going to take a while...”

         Ashley watched the sisters staring at each other with identical pairs of large green eyes wide with fear and hate. They looked like they were either going to hug or to claw each other’s face to shreds. She slammed the hatch shut and went off to start the sailboat’s small engine.  

         Kind of nice moon tonight, a sharp crescent, with light which cut like a razor through the night and a deep, dark ocean.