Read Online The Hostage: BookShots (Hotel Series) by James Patterson - Free Book Online

through the killer’s heart.
    Roscoe ran back into the lobby, where he saw Anna Conquest crouching beside a chair as she comforted Aunt Jessie. Jessie had clearly been shocked by what she’d witnessed but Roscoe didn’t know anybody with a stronger resolve than his aunt Jessie. He went straight to them, but as he did, Peter Savage came across the lobby to join them.
    ‘What’s going on, Roscoe? This old woman says there has been another killing?’
    Roscoe ignored Savage and turned to his aunt. ‘You remember me telling you about Inspector Savage, Aunt Jessie? Well, allow me to introduce you.’
    Jessie sniffed in disgust. ‘I guessed as much, Jon. You always said what a little shit he was.’
    Anna Conquest couldn’t help laughing.
    Roscoe smiled at Aunt Jessie. ‘That might well be the case, but Inspector Savage is heading up the police operation.’
    ‘I can tell you this, Inspector Savage,’ said Jessie, looking the police officer directly in the eye, ‘this old woman wouldn’t say there had been another killing if she hadn’t seen one. And what she saw was a killer holding a dead man’s head in his hand.’
    Savage turned to Roscoe, who nodded. ‘The body’s in the kitchen,’ he said. ‘It’s brutal.’
    ‘We have to get him, Roscoe,’ said Savage, looking more determined than he’d been since arriving at the hotel. ‘We have to get him. I don’t care how. We have to take him down.’
    Roscoe turned to Anna. ‘Can you access the hotel personnel records?’
    ‘I can do it from here,’ replied Anna, moving back to her desk. ‘What do you need to know?’
    ‘When we hired Richard Winn and anything else we have on him.’
    ‘No problem.’
    ‘Richard Winn?’ asked Savage. ‘Where does he fit in?’
    ‘Our latest victim,’ said Roscoe. ‘The killer might have obliterated his body but his security badge was left intact – for what that’s worth.’
    Savage turned away from the group, as if he was planning what he should do next. The killings were getting more violent, if that were even possible. Roscoe watched him force himself to take breath after breath before turning back.
    ‘As soon as we get everyone out of here,’ he said, speaking directly to Roscoe, ‘it’s him and us. I will do whatever it takes. I mean that. I don’t want him to walk out of here alive.’
    Roscoe looked at Savage, remembering his gung-ho approach of the past.
    ‘I hear what you’re saying, Peter. We all want to stop the killing. And when we get our man he’ll serve his time.’
    Savage smiled. ‘Always the same, Roscoe. By the book. Surely even you think we should take this one out of the game?’
    Before Roscoe had a chance to answer, Anna called across, ‘I’ve got his records here. Richard Winn was employed only at the beginning of last week. He’s worked at a couple of London restaurants in the past but nothing special. His reference came directly from Jackson Harlington.’
    ‘Harlington again,’ said Roscoe to Savage, knowing for certain each of the three killings was linked. ‘Jackson Harlington’s the key to this.’
    Savage nodded.
    ‘I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,’ he replied. ‘Harlington was at the very centre of everything.’
    ‘When the lobby is clear,’ said Roscoe, ‘we need to prep a unit to head to the fortieth floor.’
    ‘Fortieth floor?’ asked Savage.
    Roscoe continued, ‘I think he’s made his way up to the roof. He rode the service elevator from the kitchen all the way to the top of the building. He’s planned all of this, Peter. The whole thing.’
    ‘How can you be sure?’
    ‘Because he’s been playing with us. He knew who his victims were and picked them off before we had any idea what hit us. And now he wants to take his final bow. But I don’t know why. We can’t ask Jackson Harlington about Duncan and Winn, so our only hope is to talk to his wife.’ He paused. ‘Peter, he’s waiting for us on the fortieth floor.’

CHAPTER