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

features striking. But there was a clean, almostmaintained quality about his features. His face wasn’t as weathered as someonemight’ve expected from a man who had the same color of gray hair. His teeth,when she glimpsed them, were white, but not unnaturally so, suggesting he tookcare of himself.

The straight-postured conductor glanced around at theagents and cleared his throat. “I’m happy to make this brief,” he said. “I’vebeen in contact with the German authorities, and will be pulling the train intothe station as planned.”

Adele frowned. “Is there any way we could go slower?”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible. Already passengers arecomplaining. In Germany, German citizens have rights.” He raised an eyebrow,seemingly plucked and trimmed. “I’m sure you know this.”

“I’m not asking for you to break any laws,” she said,trying to hide her frustration. “But I’m looking for some help here, just a fewmore minutes.”

The conductor shook his head. He didn’t wince, he didn’tapologize, and his tone was matter-of-fact and straight to the point. Though hewas a conductor on a train, he carried himself like a captain in the army.

“We’ve done what we could. We’re traveling at a third ournormal pace, and we’ve given you ample time. We even agreed to allow you toenter through the hatch above the remodeled car. But we have a body on board.Which brings into question all sorts of hygiene issues. And on top of that, Ihave to get on another train within the next half hour. I’m running late as itis.”

Adele sighed and glanced back toward the two men in thewhite uniforms by the window. One seemed engrossed in his book while the otherwas still watching them curiously, from beneath hooded eyes. Security? She wasn’tsure.

“All right, so you have to get on another train. But we’retrying to catch a serial killer, you’re aware of this, yes?”

“As I said, I’ve been in contact with the Germanauthorities. They’ve apprised me of the situation. I wish we could be of morehelp. As I said, we did slow the train. Are you saying you’re no closer tofinding the murderer?”

“We’re doing the best we can,” Leoni interjected.

Adele frowned, annoyed. The conductor obviously wasn’twilling to budge. He had the air of a man who’d already made up his mind. “Look,”she said, firmly, “is there anything you can do? Stall? Lock the doors? Sloweven further?”

“I said I can’t slow, and I have another train waiting forme.”

“Come on, man,” she said, firmly. “This psycho has alreadymurdered three people. Do you really want that on your conscience?”

His eyes narrowed, and his jaw went rigid. He stared ather, and with granite in his voice, the conductor said, “My conscience isclear. I have a job to do; a job that shuttles hundreds of people around fromcountry to country. Some of them doctors, others businesspeople, others familymembers. Without transportation, people like you,” he said, nodding toward her,“couldn’t do your jobs either. You’re not the only person with a job to do onthis train. And you’re certainly not the most important person on this train,”he said, firmly. “We’re doing what we can. If you have an issue with myconscience, maybe it’s your own you should examine. You had more than an hourto find a killer. And by the sounds of things, you’re no closer than when youstarted.”

“Hold on,” said John, glaring from where he stood in thedoorway, “if you’re moving to another train, who’s going to be conducting thisone?”

Adele hesitated. In her frustration, she hadn’t realizedthe obvious question. She felt a flash of gratitude at John’s words. They bothregarded the conductor.

“My second,” he said, as if the answer were obvious.

“Hang on,” said Adele. “No one said anything about asecond.”

The conductor shrugged. “I don’t know who you’ve beentalking to. But all trains have a second. They take over for the conductor whenhe needs rest, or sometimes will take over when he has to switch trains. As inthis case.”

“There was no mention of a second on the staff manifests.”

“Sometimes they’re not listed. Especially if they’re notgoing to be needed. Think of it more like a backup plan. My second’s beenriding around on trains for three days without having to do anything.”

“You sound reproachful,” John said.

The straight-postured man grumbled and shook his head. “Getspaid nearly as much as me to do what? Sleep around in the dormitory car?Please. Regardless, the German authorities want to catch the killer as well.They’ll be waiting for you at the station. That’s the best we can do. That’sall I have. And as you said, you’ve got little more than a quarter hour left.”

“The second,” Adele said, quietly, “you say he’s beenriding around for three days?”

“Not on this train. He only just boarded earlier thismorning. But he’s been on other trains for the last three days, withoutactually having to put in any work.”

“He’s been on other trains in the last three days?You know which ones?”

The conductor hesitated, pausing for a moment, then henibbled on the bottom of his lip. “I don’t know all of them. But I think onewas the LuccaRail, you know it?”

Agent Leoni perked up at this answer. “This second ofyours, is it possible he was on the Normandie Express as well?”

At the earnest tone in the Italian’s voice, the conductorlooked over, frowning deeply. “I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t keep track ofall his trains. All I can tell you is he hasn’t had to put in a day’s work forthe last three days—lucky him.”

“And where is he now?” Adele said, her voice insistent. Shefelt a prickle along her spine. A second? Someone who didn’t appear on thestaff list. She’d cross-referenced staff from both trains. Only two hits. Butif the name hadn’t shown up, if he had been on the LuccaRail, the train fromItaly where the first victim had been killed, then possibly he’d been on theNormandie as well. Maybe this was their connection point.

Through the windshield, she glimpsed the quickly approachingcity in the distance. Soon, they’d arrive at the station. Soon, she knew, thekiller would have a chance to get away. But maybe they’d been gifted a leadjust in time.

“Where is he?” Adele demanded.

She stared, hard-eyed,