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

shaking her head at the recollection of the interview. Mr. Lafitte hadinitially struck her as loud, abrasive, and potentially dangerous. Now, though,after double-checking his claims with the travel company, it became clear thattraveling by train was a near daily experience for the retired train-hopper.

Itall just felt so sad now. She sighed and shook her head again, regarding Leoni.“No. The killer didn’t stay on the same train last time, and I imagine hewouldn’t this time either.”

“He?”asked Leoni. “You’re assuming a male? Poison is often a woman’s weapon, no?”

Adeleshrugged. “Perhaps—I’m not ruling anything out. My point is that we might bewasting our time here…” She shook her head and stepped off the train onto theplatform. Leoni followed behind, and as he did, he reached out suddenly,steadying himself against her and murmuring, “Sorry!”

Shelooked back at him and his face had gone red in embarrassment as he staredaccusingly at the bottom step of the metal ladder. “Blasted thing tried to tripme,” he muttered.

Adelewatched Leoni, and the way he shook his head, flustered. His right hand,though, still pressed to her shoulder—warm, comforting, and strong all at once.Adele didn’t say anything, but allowed him to lift his hand in his own time. Ashe did, though, she felt a strange flicker of regret.

Sheopened her mouth, uncertain what she would say, though wanting to say something.But just then, her phone began to ring.

Adelecursed, held up a finger, and turned her back to Leoni, answering.

“What?”she said, a bit more crossly than perhaps she ought to have.

“Happyto hear from you too,” retorted the voice of John Renee.

“Whatis it, John? We’re here. You still coming to meet up?”

“I’mon my way now. Crossing the border.”

“Allright, we can wait. I was just telling Leoni we need to tackle this case from adifferent angle. I don’t think the killer is on board.”

“Right—we.Whatever. Look, Sharp, I can pretty much verify that second part. Killerdefinitely isn’t on board.”

Adelewent still, staring out across the station along a row of coffee shops andsmall cafes in the side of the passenger areas. Through the glass walls of thestation, she glimpsed the distant greens of trees and slopes in the BlackForest.

“Yousound certain,” she murmured, biting a lip. “Did he attack again?”

“Yeah.Germany this time. The Green Coach.”

Adelefelt her stomach clamp and her breath come in a gusting rush. Another death. Dammit,she thought. But now wasn’t the time to freeze. She cleared her throat. “Alsowith Lockport Enterprises?”

“No.Different owner, different country this time too. But new victim—a young woman,late twenties. Also had a heart attack, this time witnessed by at least sixothers.”

Adelefound her hand tightening around the phone and she resisted the urge to scream.

“Adele,what is it?” Leoni asked from behind, as if he could sense her consternation.

Sheglanced half back. “Third victim,” she said, biting off the words. Then shesaid into the speaker of the phone, “You still coming?”

“Yeah,I’m hurrying. Just one thing—the train in question can’t be sequestered now. It’scurrently moving through the Black Forest mountains, in the wilderness. Notrain station for at least another hour or two, and no access roads foremergency vehicles either…”

Adele,though, didn’t share the frustration seeping from her old partner’s tone. Sheshook her head quickly, and said, just as fast, “No, that’s good news, John.Excellent, in fact.”

Apause on the phone. Static, and for a moment she thought she’d lost him. Butthen, a second later, John said, “Good news? How?”

“Ifthe train is still moving,” Adele returned, her grim smile widening, “then thatmeans the killer is still on board.”

“Imean… you’re not wrong. But for that to matter, we’d have to reach the trainfirst—before emergency vehicles show up, or before they reach a station. I don’tthink German authorities will go for holding back a train full of theircitizens for our sake.”

“Wedon’t have to worry about that headache,” Adele insisted. “As long as we cankeep that train moving, then the killer has to stay put. We just need to reachit first.”

“Hangon,” John said suddenly. “I have an idea. I know how to get to the train beforeit stops.”

“Whatare—”

Unableto hide the undercurrent of excitement now creeping into his voice, John said, “Justsit tight. I’m on my way.”

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Adelestood outside the station, near a parking lot the authorities had cleared ahalf hour before. Now, a large ring of red traffic cones cordoned off an areathe size of a tennis court. Adele stood next to Leoni, her arms crossed in thechill, misty air coming in from the mountains.

Shestrode back and forth, one arm bent at an angle, still crossed, but alsoholding her phone pressed to her ear, seemingly a permanent fixture, gluedthere by intent alone.

“Yessir,” she was saying. “I understand. We’ll tread lightly.”

ExecutiveFoucault was on the other line, his rasping voice continuing, “I’m serious,Adele. No unnecessary risks. We finally have the Germans playing ball. They won’tstop the train until they feel they have to. But we’re in a tight windowhere—very tight.”

“Iunderstand. But sir, I—”

Beforeshe continued, though, she felt a hand tug at her wrist. She glanced over,half-expecting John. But the Frenchman was running late, and she hadn’t beenable to contact him since the last call. Instead, it was Agent Leoni, who washolding out his own phone and staring at it, his eyes wide.

Ina whisper, he said, “Coroner got back.”

“Executive,”Adele said, quickly, “I’m sorry, no, I’m really sorry, just one second.” Shepressed the phone to her shoulder, muffling it, and looked at Agent Leoni,waiting.

Faintly,Adele could hear a voice calling from the speaker, “Agent Sharp! Hello! Can youhear me!”

Shewinced but waited for Leoni, and he spoke quickly, as if not wanting tointrude, but there was an urgency to his tone. “Look,” he said, holding up hisphone.

Adelestared, and saw a clear image of what looked like someone’s neck.

“Whatam I looking at?”

“Rightthere, see it?” He pointed, and she leaned in.

“Here’sanother picture—he circled it!” Agent Leoni flicked the phone’s image, and itmoved to the same picture, but this time, a small, black circle had been drawnon it.

Thecircle was around a tiny red area that looked no more significant than apimple.

“Whatam I looking at?”

“Thecoroner thinks that’s an injection site,” said Agent Leoni. “Says they thinkthis was where a toxin might