Left to Lapse (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Seven) by Blake Pierce (book club suggestions txt) 📗

Fora moment, Ms. Dubot seemed disoriented as she glanced from Adele to John andback. As her eyes landed on the tall, scarred Frenchman she gave a little gaspand sat up a bit more. Adele hid a smirk. Then Ms. Dubot, covering herreaction, cleared her throat. “No,” she said, weakly. “Not at all. I’d nevermet her before in my life.”

“Butyou were there when she died,” John said. “Was anyone else in the room?”

Theyoung woman hesitatingly shook her head. “No one. I didn’t see anyone there…”

“Justyou and the deceased,” John said skeptically.

Thewoman seemed to be realizing his inference and her eyes widened all of asudden. “Wait a moment,” she protested. “It wasn’t like that! Not like that atall!”

“John,”Adele murmured, “careful…”

Hejust shrugged though, and glanced back at Ms. Dubot. “How did she die? In yourwords.”

“Ifit’s not too hard to talk about,” Adele said, trying to be a comfortingreprieve from the brunt of John’s personality.

 Thewoman closed her eyes now, and for a moment seemed as if she might have fallenasleep. Then, her eyes still closed, in a shaky voice, she stammered, “I-I wentback for my purse. She was just sitting there, drinking her coffee and lookingout the window. Then she suddenly jolted, she gasped and tried to grab my armas if reaching for help…” The woman winced, but, to Adele’s admiration, shepressed on. “Then she fell, jerking a bit, and went still. That’s when Iscreamed and the conductor was brought to the compartment, and the police werecalled.”

Aftershe’d finished, her shoulders slumped a bit, as if she’d just shed some heavyload. Adele nodded in gratitude, and John looked like he wanted to press formore, but couldn’t seem to think of what else to ask. “You’re sure no one elsewas in the compartment?” he said at last.

Thewoman just shook her head, but then opened her mouth to speak. “Not when shedied, but… but before, I did see someone pass by. Didn’t get a good look atthem. And, well, it’s a train. A lot of people pass by…” She dwindled off for amoment, and her eyes began to widen. Adele leaned in, hesitant, concerned, andthen Ms. Dubot started shaking and trembling, her body jolting.

“Out!Out!” called the receptionist turned nurse. The woman swept into the room,making shooing motions and pressing a red button over the bed, calling, “Dr.Delafosse! Room two! Dr. Delafosee, now!”

Thewitness continued trembling as if she’d just been dumped into an icy river, andat another angry look from the nurse, Adele and John beat a quiet retreat. Adoctor came rushing out of a side room, walking steadily but quickly, passingthe agents without so much as a sidelong glance, and then entered into theroom, speaking quickly and approaching the patient. “Shock,” the doctor wassaying. “It’s a panic attack, nothing more. Ms. Dubot, you’re going to be fine.Can you hear me?”

Thenthe door was shut and Adele, John, and Allard were left out in the hall. Adelesighed, turning away and glancing up at John. “You didn’t have to go so hard,”she said, frowning.

Johnsniffed. “She seemed fine enough. We needed more,” he said. “We don’t haveanything new to go on. For all we know, if it was murder, Ms. Dubot is theguilty party. She was the last to be seen with the victim alive, by her ownadmission.”

Adeleresisted the urge to roll her eyes, and was aided in catching the gesture by asudden ring tone from her pocket.

Shefished out her phone and recognized the number. Instantly, some of the acerbityshe’d been feeling melted like ice. With a quick glance at John, she beganwalking up the hall back toward the somewhat-sliding doors to the hospital.Once she was a safe enough distance away, she answered.

“AgentLeoni,” she said, smiling and turning to conceal the expression from the twomen behind her.

“Adele,how are you?” said the voice on the other end.

Inher mind’s eye, Adele pictured the Italian agent’s perfect jaw line, thesuperman curl of stray hair resting against his forehead. She pictured hisimmaculately maintained vehicle and the precision in the way he dressed andacted.

“Towhat do I owe this pleasure?” she asked.

Normally,Agent Leoni was easygoing enough, but there was an edge to his tone that causedher to perk up as he said, “I hear you’re on the other end of the train deaths.”

“Iwas assigned to the case,” she said, slowly. “There was one in Italy, too.”

“That’swhy I’m calling. I’m heading up things over here… and I looked into the firstdeath.”

“And?”

“Idon’t believe it was natural,” said Agent Leoni in a clipped, somber tone. “Ourcoroner seems to agree, and is working feverishly to get a toxicology report,but that could take a few days.”

Adele’smouth felt dry all of a sudden and she glanced back to where John was pretendingnot to watch her. She frowned slowly. “We don’t have a few days. If this is aserial killer—then they’ve already struck twice. Only with one day separatingthem.”

“Exactly,”said Leoni. “Which is why I’m calling. If I’m right, we don’t have a few daysfor a tox report—the killer will strike again. Most likely tomorrow.”

Adelesighed, huffing a breath and shaking her head. “All right,” she said at last. “Thanksfor the heads-up. We don’t have any confirmation on our end of a murder, but weonly just got here.”

“Youdo what you think is best, but—”

Adelecut him off. “If you say something is off, then I believe you. What are theodds that two heart attacks on two train lines within two days aren’t linked?We’ll treat this like a proper investigation. Don’t worry. Keep me posted.”

“Ofcourse.”

“Goodluck.”

“Youtoo. One other thing,” he said. “Victim one was overheard in an argument withthe bartender on the LuccaRail the same night he died. We’re still looking intoit. Obviously, a bandying of words isn’t damning evidence, but it is worthnoting.”

“Thanks,I’ll keep my ear to the ground,” said Adele.

“AndAdele,” Leoni said, chuckling in that confident, understated way of his. “It isa pleasure to be working with you again.”

Adeletried to suppress the threat of a grin, but failed somewhat. “And you,” shesaid, simply, thinking of the Italian for a moment, remembering how he’dlooked, his smile. She shook her head, forcing herself to think of somethingbesides