Left to Vanish (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Eight) by Blake Pierce (books to read for 13 year olds .txt) 📗

his headquickly, “What is this about?” he demanded. “You have no right.”

“We can talk after you get out of your car,” Adele shouted.

Reluctantly, Mr. Lavigne reached toward the door, puttinghis hand outside to use the external handle, making sure his fingers were stillin full view. He gave a sarcastic roll of his eyes, and then slowly opened thedoor, sliding out the front seat. “You’re gonna hear from my lawyers,” hescoffed. “You better believe the city’s going to pay. Oh yes, they’re going topay. You two idiots have just made my life. I don’t know how stupid you can be.You could’ve killed me.” He reached up, rubbing at his neck and wincing. “Infact, I think I’m injured. Yeah, ouch. That hurts.”

Adele kept her weapon raised. Agent Paige was glaring,saying, “I’ll show you what hurts if you don’t shut up. Keep your hands up. Interlockthem behind your neck.”

At the same time, Paige glanced over the car in Adele’sdirection, and gave a significant nod toward the waiting vehicle.

Adele returned the look, and, allowing Paige to keep Mr.Lavigne secure, Adele quickly holstered her weapon and moved around to the backof the car. She peered through the windows and spotted a black duffel bag.

She opened the back door, ignoring Mr. Lavigne’s protests,and reached for the duffel bag. She unzipped it quickly, glancing inside, butonly found folded shirts and clothing.

She shook her head. “Come on, come on,” she muttered toherself, her voice muffled by the steel frame of the vehicle. She bent over theluggage, then paused, her fingers grazing a paper protrusion out of the sidepocket. Frowning to herself, she pulled the item completely free of the pocket,examining it.

A plane ticket.

Her heart jumped. She stared at the plane ticket, blinkingin surprise. She turned it over quickly, examining the date.

“I have a ticket here!” she called out into the air.

“Where to?” Paige responded.

“Spain,” replied Mr. Lavigne, the fury still audible in histone. “So what. It’s not illegal to fly to Spain. What are you doing—you can’tgo through my stuff!”

Paige growled. “There are two possible targets in Spain,Adele,” she called out.

“Targets?” Lavigne said, swallowing. “What are you talkingabout?”

Adele ignored this and lowered the ticket, glancing backinto the duffel bag.

“You fly frequently?” Agent Paige was saying, her voicemuffled from outside the car. “I bet you do, don’t you. Been to Germanyrecently?”

Mr. Lavigne retorted, “I travel a lot for my job.”

For her part, Adele’s eyes were caught by something wedgedin the side of the duffel bag. She reached out, pulling a Bible from the side.But what had caught her attention was the glinting, ebony carving dangling overthe edge of the Bible. She pulled, and realized she was now holding a rosary.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She lowered the Bible carefully, respectfully, placing itback on the clothing, but then held the rosary, lifting it up and over the roofof the car, showing it in Agent Paige’s direction.

The response was instant.

“Turn around,” Agent Paige snapped. “Mr. Lavigne, you’reunder arrest!”

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Adelestood shoulder to shoulder with Agent Paige, standing beneath the winking redlight from the recording camera behind them over the one-way window. Theblaring white lights from the fluorescent bulbs above the interrogation tablebeat down mercilessly.

Mr.Lavigne blinked in the light, his hands cuffed in front of him, the chainlooped through a metal bracket protruding from the steel surface. His eyesstared straight ahead, fixated on the one-way glass mirror, the rest of himrigid and stern as if sealed to the chair itself.

Adelerisked a quick glance at her watch, swallowing as she did.

Fiveminutes without response to any of their questions.

Fiveminutes of complete silence.

“Weknow it was you,” Agent Paige said, trying a new angle as she stepped aroundthe table and banged an open hand against the metal surface. “No use denyingit. You killed them, why?”

Thepreservationist didn’t blink, didn’t move. He remained rooted in place.

“Youcan’t expect to get away with it,” Paige pressed, leaning in now, her shadowswelling across his cautious form. “Why not just come clean. Tell us why youdid it. Then you can speak with anyone you want. Do you have family, Gregor?Anyone who misses you, waiting to see you? We can bring this to a quick closeif you just speak honestly with us. Well? How about it?”

Adelehad to hand it to Paige. The way she moved her whole body while interrogatingthe suspect suggested years of practice. She transitioned seamlessly fromoverbearing and firm to accommodating and considerate. She used the lightshining above her like a sort of spotlight, moving her body nearlyimperceptibly to allow more or less light past her shoulders as she pressed forinformation.

Thewhole effect was dramatic.

Andyet, Gregor Lavigne remained silent, staring stonily ahead.

Paigeglanced up at Adele in exasperation, shrugging nearly imperceptibly. Adeleswallowed, stepping in now, trying not to betray her emotions. One hand emergedfrom her pocket, carrying Mr. Lavigne’s rosary, dangling the beads in front ofhis nose and allowing the small wooden cross to shift back and forth.

“Isthis what the Lord would have wanted?” Adele said.

Perhapsa low blow, to go after a man based on his faith. But wasn’t that exactly whatthe killer had been doing? Besides, her intent wasn’t to disrespect the cross,but to jar Mr. Lavigne out of his seeming vow of silence.

And…as the rosary dangled before his nose, the tactic seemed to work.

Heblinked briefly, his eyes darting to the side for a moment, before returning toattention, staring straight ahead. He swallowed softly and gave a quick shakeof his head. “That’s mine,” he said.

“Ah,our little fox can speak,” declared Agent Paige, slapping a hand on the tableagain. “I wasn’t sure. Well, little fox, can you tell us why it is you wereheading to Spain?”

“Lawyer,”Mr. Lavigne said firmly.

“He’son his way. Now you answer one of my questions.”

“Lawyer.”

“Isthat really how you want to play it?” Adele asked, still holding the rosary infront of the man’s nose. “Are you truly the sort to protect buildings, oldstructures, instead of people? To prey on the helpless?”

Heglanced at her, eyes narrowed. “Lawyer.”

Adelefelt a flutter of frustration, but forced herself to keep her cool. If AgentPaige could keep from flying off the handle, then so could Adele. Still, Mr.Lavigne