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

“The remaining two names,” whispered Agent Paige. “Thinkthat’s who he’s targeting next?”

Adele’s eyes shone as she stared at the picture, feeling anold sense of excitement settling across her. A sensation she hadn’t experiencedin a while. “Jacqueline and Candela,” Adele said. “That’s going to help usnarrow down the list of twenty-three. It has to. Shared names—close names.Those are going to be the targets!”

Paige muttered softly in disbelief, but then turned andbegan to move out of the room, fishing her phone from her pocket as she did.She stood in the doorway now and Adele glanced back to watch as Paige cycledthrough the pictures she’d taken of Mr. Becker’s highlighted documents withpotential victims.

For her part, Adele glanced at Mr. Lavigne, who still stooddocile by the table, his eyes darting between the two agents. “So,” hemurmured, “have I been helpful?”

“Very,” Adele said. “Yes.”

“Am I free to go?”

“No, but you’re free to stay. A police car will be by, watchingyour home for the next few days, no doubt. Don’t leave town.”

“I travel for work,” he insisted.

“I’m sorry, sir. It’s the best I can do.”

Adele glanced over her shoulder once more, her eyes fixedon the severe-faced women outside the old cloister, now turned new home.

She didn’t believe in cursed land… At least, she didn’tthink so.

Demons were now explained by science.

At least, so she thought.

Somehow, though, standing in that basement, shivering inthe cool draft of the old home, surrounded by odd artifacts and brass buttonsand old photos of a bygone era, she felt a slow trickling sense of anxietyrising that had nothing to do with Robert, nothing to do with her skills as aninvestigator.

Real or not, she felt now they were on the very edge,poised to catch a demon before it struck again.

She felt another chill at the thought and shivered,glancing around the room. Perhaps a premonition, or simple instinct, but Adelefelt near certain, whatever the case, they were almost out of time.

“We need to check the names,” Adele said quickly. “And anytranslations of those names or nicknames. Especially if found on official documents.I don’t know how he’s getting access to the names… but he is somehow, that’show he’s finding his victims.”

“Most sales with the church were public record,” Mr.Lavigne called out from behind her.

Adele began marching toward the door, toward where AgentPaige was still flicking through her phone, her face glowing blue in the lightof the phone.

“Come on,” Adele murmured, quietly. “We need to move. Wecan check as we go.”

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

“JackieEymard and Candace Danis,” Adele said, urgently, hissing through her teeth.

“You’re sure?” Agent Paige snapped, now sitting in thedriver’s side, steering the vehicle up the road, away from Mr. Lavigne’s home.It seemed like all worries about releasing the killer had faded now in the faceof this new information.

“Yes,” Adele insisted. “Jackie lives in Spain.”

Agent Paige glanced sharply over. “Spain?” The car practicallystalled, as she began to apply the brakes and twist the wheel.

“I still don’t think it’s him,” Adele retorted. “Acoincidence.”

Agent Paige growled, readjusting the wheel and pressing thegas once more. “He had a ticket to Spain, Adele,” she said, insistently.

“I know. But why would he lead us to those pictures? Thekiller is out there. He has to be.”

Adele turned her attention to her phone, cycling throughthe pictures of Mr. Becker’s list. She scrolled through the names again,glancing at the yellow legal pad where she had written down the additionalinformation, double-checking.

She shook her head, “Candace Danis and Jackie Eymard. Theonly two names that are close matches to our Jacquelineand Candela.”

Paige drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. “Let’ssay it was just a coincidence he had a ticket to Spain. Where’s our otherpossible victim?”

Adele winced, reading. She cursed and muttered, “She’s oneof the ones I couldn’t pin down. At least two locations I could find. Shetravels for work.”

“You have a phone number?” Paige said, insistently.

“I’m sure I can get one.”

“All right, well, I’m heading toward the police station,just in case. I’ll call ahead to Spanish authorities, and get them posted out atJackie Eymard’s place. Protective custody.”

Adele nodded quickly, as Agent Paige kept one hand on thesteering wheel, and the other fished into her pocket for her phone again. Sheraised it, already dialing the number for the DGSI operatives in Spain.

For her part, Adele glanced at the final name. If Mrs.Eymard was safe, that meant the only remaining target would be Candace Danis.But where was Mrs. Danis? At least two locations. One of them in Italy, but theother was the summer home in France.

She shivered, lifting her phone to make a call of her own.

She could hear Agent Paige rattling off information,already communicating with the Spanish authorities. Adele felt a slow, crestingsense of relief. At least Mrs. Eymard would be safe.

But Mrs. Danis was in the wind. The killer was on the hunt.

Adele quickly scrolled through her notes on the yellowlegal pad a second time. She glanced down at Mr. Becker’s list, cycling over tothe furthest column.

She froze. There had been no phone number for Mrs. Danisherself, but there, written in the margins, was a number for someone else. Sheleaned in, squinting, trying to read the cramped number.

It was listed under an insurance column. But it didn’t havethe same code as the other French insurance agencies. So who did the numberbelong to?

It was worth a shot. Adele quickly dialed, raising herphone, feeling the car increase speed as Paige took them back toward theprecinct. Adele could feel the vehicle shake from the strain as Paige put itthrough its paces. She could hear Paige now raising her voice, yelling atsomeone on the other end of the line. Jackie was in safe hands in Spain. Mrs.Danis, though, needed help.

To her relief, someone picked up after the third ring. “CandaceDanis?” Adele said, quickly.

A voice cleared on the other end, and hesitantly replied, “Excuseme? Who is this?”

Adele’s heart plummeted, sinking somewhere in the vicinityof her toes. The voice was male. “I’m trying to reach Candace,” Adele said,quickly. “My name is Adele Sharp, I’m an agent with the DGSI. Who am I speakingto?”

There was a pause, then a frustrated clearing of