Page 87 of Alex Cross Must Die

Holmes bowed his head solemnly, then broke out in a warm smile for the whole table. “Thank you all,” he said. “For making my existenceanythingbut dull.”

Marple turned to her left, glass still raised. “And to Detective Lieutenant Helene Grey, our sister in crime.”

Grey nodded graciously. All four lifted their glasses toward the center of the table and tapped lightly. Marple took a quick sip and set her sherry down. She placed her palms flat on the table and leaned forward with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Now,” she said, “let’s play a game.”

CHAPTER 98

AGAME?THOUGHTGrey.What is Marple up to?

So far, Grey had limited herself to a single glass of Chardonnay. She didn’t want to let her guard down. Inside, she was still angry about the kidnapping case, and she wasn’t sure if she should trust any of them. Even the one whose hand was resting lightly on her thigh.

“The game is …” said Marple, inserting a dramatic pause, “Two Truths and a Lie.”

Grey squirmed in her seat. Was this a joke? The last time she’d played this game was in her college sorority house, tipsy on cheap Chablis. The truths and lies that night had been mostly about celebrity crushes and multiple orgasms. It was an icebreaker—a getting-to-know-you game, with no real consequences. She wasn’t sure how to play in company like this, or if she wanted to play at all. But Marple was already leaning in her direction, eyebrows raised.

“You first, Detective.”

What the hell, thought Grey. Better to join in than to seem rude. It was just a game after all, and at least she was in control of her turn. She looked around the table as she considered her options,then settled on three choices.Don’t ever explain,she reminded herself.Keep it short. Don’t blink.

“All right,” she said. She took a deep breath and let it out before making her statements, as matter-of-factly as she could manage.

“I was the top marksman in my academy class. John Mayer once invited me to dinner. My father died in prison.”

She picked up her glass and took a slow sip of wine. Marple drummed her fingers lightly. Poe glanced up at the ceiling, as if the answers might be revealed in the plasterwork. Holmes leaned forward.

“Did you accept?” he asked.

“Accept what?” asked Grey.

“Mr. Mayer’s overture.”

Grey felt herself blushing slightly. “No. I did not.” That was true.

“And you’re a deadly shot,” Holmes said definitively.

Grey took another sip. She nodded. Also true.

“Which means,” Poe said grandly, “that your father was never in prison.”

Grey tipped her glass at him. “Three for three,” she said. “How did you guess?”

“No guessing involved,” said Holmes, leaning back. “Simple observation. Pupil dilation.”

Grey felt a vibration in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and glanced down. Grey pushed back from the table. “Sorry,” she said. “Business.”

“Pity.” Marple pouted. “We were just getting started.”

CHAPTER 99

GREY TOOK THEcall as she walked up the polished wood staircase to the mezzanine. “Raymond? What’ve you got?”

“A lot,” said the voice on the other end. “And nothing.”

“I’m listening,” said Grey. She stopped at the center of a thick railing overlooking the dining room. As she glanced down, Poe lifted his glass toward her.

“Pay attention,” said Raymond, his voice terse. “Don’t take notes. None of this goes in writing. Is your phone clean?”

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