Page 81 of Alex Cross Must Die

“Toby! Down!” the girl shouted.

The dog settled back onto its haunches.

Marple recognized Zozi Turner in an instant, even with the short hair and the drugstore dye job. She recognized Eton Charles too. He was crouched next to Zozi on the floor, ten days of beard growth on his face and a bandage over his right ear. He grabbed Zozi and pulled her back against his chest.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked, his eyes flitting from Poe to Marple.

“It’s okay,” said Poe. “Relax. You’re safe now.”

Marple heard a rustle from the other side of the room. Poe swung around, gun ready.

A tall girl in black leather rose from behind the second bed with her hands raised. Pale skin. Bright red hair.

“Don’t kill me!” the girl sobbed. “Please don’t kill me!” Marple recognized her too—even without the Catholic school uniform. The redhead with something to hide.

“I have the money!” the girl said, her voice cracking. “It’s right here!” She reached down and heaved the heavy satchel onto the bed. “I was just trying to help my friend!” She looked over at Zozi, then fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor, hands over her face.

Marple looked back toward the bed. Zozi had her arms wrapped tight around her stepfather. It wasn’t just fear. Something else.

Dear God.

In an instant, Marple saw the whole thing clearly, and it made her stomach turn. “Zozi,” she said. “We’re private investigators. Your mother hired us to find you.”

Zozi squeezed Eton’s arm and looked up at Marple with tears coursing down her cheeks. “We’re not going back,” she said. “Not ever. We’re in love.”

Marple shifted her stare to Eton. What was he—three times Zozi’s age?

“I know how it looks,” he said. “You don’t understand.”

“I certainly do,” said Marple. She couldn’t disguise the disgust in her voice.

“He doesn’t need to explain,” Zozi said defiantly. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. I want to be with him. It’s my choice. My decision. My life.”

Marple sat down on the edge of the bed. She had a lot of questions, but all she could think about at this moment was Addilyn Charles. Poor terrified, betrayed Addilyn.

Across the room, the redhead stood up slowly, still speaking through sobs. “What do we do now? What’s going to happen?”

“Well, for starters,” said Marple, “you’re all going to jail.”

CHAPTER 91

MARPLE STOOD WITHPoe near the hood of the patrol car. Eton and the two girls had already been loaded in. An Animal Control officer had just finished managing—barely—to fit Toby into the kennel space in his truck.

The brusque Asbury Park cop flipped her notebook shut. “Okay,” she said, “we’ll hold ’em at the station overnight. You can transport ’em back to the city in the morning.”

Her partner, a baby-faced officer with a wisp of a moustache, was doing his best to fit the girl’s medium-sized motorcycle helmet over his head. “Officer Grant will handle the bike. I’ll log the bag and lock it up for you. Animal Control will babysit the dog.”

“We appreciate it,” said Marple.

“Quite a little soap opera,” said the cop.

“Could have turned out worse,” said Poe.

The cop just stared at him. “Really? Is that what you’re gonna tell the wife?”

Marple walked back and looked in the open rear door of the car. The two girls were scrunched in the back seat with Eton inthe middle. All three were cuffed behind their backs. The redhead looked dazed, her head pressed against the rear side window.

Zozi squirmed against the cuffs. “I don’t understand,” she said, her cheeks wet and red from crying. “I’m not a baby. I’m old enough to choose who I want to be with. How can that be against the law?”

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