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

Shehesitated as she moved into the adjacent rail car. This one was empty, withmost of the seats removed and signs on the walls advising the car wastemporarily out of use for remodeling. Something about the empty spacefascinated her. She wondered what sorts of stories would accrue over the years,the decades, delicious secrets and salacious rumors uttered in every cornereventually.

Shesmiled to herself at the thought. Only an hour or so ago, she’d been talking withBella about the strange man who’d wandered through the first-class compartmentand stared at her. What an odd duck. Probably smelly, too. He’d had the look ofa nasty sort. It wasn’t easy to tell, but in the eyes… or the clothing, andespecially the shoes.

Margaretfelt certain the character of a person could be immediately discerned by thestate of their wardrobe. The older the clothes, the more shabby the shoes, theless reputable the person.

She’dstake her reputation on her little scale of gradation.

Still,there had been something in that man’s eyes… the way he’d watched her. It hadn’tfelt lecherous—a look she’d become accustomed to while traveling for businessamong dirty people. Rather, there had been a hunger there of a differentvariety…

Anda rage…

Sheshivered at the recollection, suddenly feeling very alone in the empty traincar poised for remodeling.

Shepicked up her pace, moving across the space toward the opposite exit which led tothe dining car. A drink. She needed a drink—not that she imbibed as much asBella did. The poor thing, drinking at all hours of the day. How her boyfriend,Richard, put up with it, heavens knew. Then again, Richard himself was notunfamiliar with a beverage or two. And if her sources were to be trusted, he’dstarted seeing another girl on the sly.

Shesmiled to herself, grateful she wasn’t as caught in her vices as Richard orBella. Really, it was magnanimous of her to befriend them.

Asshe neared the divider between this car and the next, leading to the diningspace, she pulled up.

Adark, lumpy jacket had been left, draped just in the shadows of the doorway.

Shelooked over her shoulder, her spine suddenly prickling. For a moment, it feltas if she were being watched. She shivered, but the compartment behind her wasempty.

Forthe faintest moment, she thought she glimpsed a silhouette flash across theglass divider door leading back to the first-class compartment.

Shefroze, her heart in her throat. But no one came through the door. She relaxed,breathing a bit easier now, and turned.

Aman stood in front of her.

Notjust a jacket, but a person, she realized. He’d been hiding in the shadows.

Hereyes widened and for a moment she caught a scream. “What are—” she began.

Thenher eyes widened further as she recognized the man in the jacket. The same manwith the raging eyes who’d been ogling her back in the first-class compartment.He’d been waiting for her.

“I—Idon’t—” Her voice began to rise, but before she could scream, his facestretched into a smile and he lurched toward her, one hand clamping over hermouth.

Shefelt ill all of a sudden, her stomach twisting in stark terror. She could onlyhope he didn’t defile her. What would the others say then? She remembered afterthe little incident where one of their mutual friends was assaulted behind abar, it had been the talk for months…

“Help!”she screamed. Except the hand covered her lips, and her voice came out morelike a strangled gasp into his thick palm.

Hewas strong, and though she tried to fight, she couldn’t move. Her eyes strainedin their sockets, desperate, gaping. A flash of a needle near her check. Aneedle? She realized then, the man was holding a syringe.

Itplunged toward her neck once—he cursed as if he’d missed his target. Anothersharp jab, and then… a hot, sluicing sensation spreading through her veins.

Ithurt, like a bee sting. She staggered and kicked out this time, hard, catchinghim in the shin. The man grunted and his grip loosened for a moment. She reeledback, screaming now at the top of her lungs. The man’s eyes flashed and for amoment he just stood, seemingly unfazed by her yells. But also, his eyes hungryagain, as if he wanted to drink in the sight…

Herknees felt wobbly all of a sudden. Her head spun.

Margaretreached up, her hand at her chest; the warm feeling from her neck had nowspread down her shoulders, her arms, her legs, her heart.

Itfelt like something was squeezing her insides, twisting. Then thepain—unimaginable pain.

Theman grinned now, watching, then he looked up, as if noting movement beyond, andquickly turned, scampering back toward the dining car, away.

Margaretcould barely see. She dropped to the ground, gasping. Something was squeezingher chest. The man in the jacket slipped through the doorway, stepping throughthe shadows.

Shetried to scream again, but her lips were completely numb.

Nowshe heard the patter of feet. A sudden cry of voices. Was one of those Bella’s?Dear God, she hoped Richard wasn’t there too. She couldn’t imagine theembarrassment of explaining this. They’d talk about it for weeks…

They’d…

Theshadows moved in above her. She heard voices echoing as if from down a deepwell, but she couldn’t react, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak.

Darknesscame complete.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Thetrain stopped in Karlsruhe in Germany, just north of the Black Forest, on theother side of the French border. Adele and Agent Leoni moved toward the opendoors in the dining car which exited onto a small metal embarking platform, anddown some stairs to the train station.

“Yourpartner will be here, you say?” Leoni asked, regarding Adele.

Shenodded distractedly, scanning the platform ahead of them. “Yes—he won’t bejoining us on the train, just meeting at the station to go over case notes.Rest stop is for a couple of hours,” she said, but then glanced back to theItalian. “I don’t know if it matters, though.”

“Oh?”His eyebrows went up.

Shepaused in the threshold of the train, one foot on the first step and the otherstill in the compartment. Most of the train’s residents interested in movingthrough the station to stretch their legs or grab some food had long sinceleft. A few still remained on the train, either sleeping, or in the case of Mr.Lafitte, his eyes fixed through the window, as if seeing something no one elsecould.

Adelefrowned,