Page 80 of Alex Cross Must Die

“Yeah,” said the kid. No hesitation.

“Yeahwhat?”

“Yeah, I saw it. Ninja 650. Green trim, like you said. It’s parked near where I crashed last night.”

“Are you lying to me?” He raised the gun to eye level.

“No, I swear! I work in a body shop. I know bikes. And I noticed the rider.”

“What about him?”

“Not him. Her. Female. Red hair.”

CHAPTER 89

MARPLE GOT THEtext from Poe as she was checking the lobby of the Empress Hotel. She shoved through the front door and started running toward the address on the screen. As she ran, she glanced down at her phone, looking for a response from Holmes.

Nothing. He was off the grid.

It took Marple only two minutes to reach her destination. She leaned against the wall of a darkened drugstore and looked across the intersection.

The location was a grim-looking motel with six ground-floor units and another six on top. The sign on the roof blinkedBEACH MANOR. The pockmarked parking lot was mostly empty. Four sedans, two pickups, one U-Haul van.

And one motorcycle.

Marple saw a shadow huddled against a tall stockade fence that separated the motel units from a cluster of dumpsters. She crossed the street and walked past the motel office with aCLOSEDsign in the front window. When she got to the edge of the fence, Poe reached out of the darkness and pulled her down.

Marple looked behind him. “Where’s Brendan?”

“No clue,” said Poe. “I haven’t heard from him since we left the car.”

Marple leaned forward and looked down the row of motel units. She ducked back. “Are we sure that’s the right bike?”

Poe nodded. “Unit 6. First level. Far end.”

“Maybe we should wait,” said Marple. “I don’t even have a gun.”

“Why not?” asked Poe. He and Holmes were always telling Marple to keep a pistol in her purse.

“Brita Stans,” said Marple. “She told me to come to the park unarmed.”

“No matter,” said Poe, racking the slide of his pistol. “We need to go in now.”

Marple knew Poe was right. If the courier was in the room, there was a good chance the kidnappers were there too. And with the ransom in hand, they might decide that the hostages had outlived their usefulness.

“Okay,” said Marple. “Let’s move.” She slid around the corner and pressed her back against the motel wall, ducking down as she passed the front window on each unit. She could feel Poe right behind her.

The curtain behind the window of unit 6 was pulled shut. No light from inside. Marple crossed quickly to the far side of the door. Poe took a position on the other side. Marple scanned the parking lot. No movement. She gauged the door. Weather-worn wood. Cheap hardware.

Marple pressed her ear against the top door panel. She heard the sing-song cadence of a fast-food jingle coming from a TV speaker. No other voices.

Poe pivoted to face the door squarely. He bent his right leg at the knee, then thrust his foot forward in a powerful kick. The framesplintered as the door swung open, snapping the feeble chain lock. Marple took a single step into the room. She heard a low growl. Poe swung his gun toward the sound.

A girl screamed.“No! Don’t shoot!”

CHAPTER 90

MARPLE SWEPT HERhand up the inside wall and flicked on the ceiling light. On the floor between two rumpled beds, a teenager with a dark pixie haircut gripped the collar of a massive black dog.

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