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26
Alex had told Harrison she and Logan would return to the CP if they were needed, but he’d said they should get a good night’s sleep and come back in the morning. Meanwhile, he’d call the Kansas City chief of police and inform him that the Train Man may be targeting women attending Christian churches in the area. If their guess was right, Alex hoped an increased presence around those churches would cause Walker to wait for a more opportune moment. That would give them more time to find him.
The police had sent out a BOLO for Adam Walker. Alex wanted to believe they had a jump on him, but she was certain they didn’t. Adam was probably aware that they knew who he was. That the missing Ebola sample had been reported. He hadn’t tried to hide his identity. And even though they had no direct evidence tying him to the Train Man, he was smart enough to know it wasn’t hard to connect the dots after he’d left a copy of the poem in his desk.
This hotel had indoor corridors. She and Logan stood outside her room still talking, but Alex was so tired she suggested they go inside. She was committed to helping investigators find the Train Man, but she was exhausted. She hoped Logan wouldn’t stay long.
Their rooms in this extended stay hotel were smaller, but she still had a kitchenette along one wall, a desk in the small living area, and another fireplace. Overall, it was nicer than the hotel in Wichita. As she put her bag on the king-sized bed, she thought a fire sounded nice.
Before she had a chance to say so, Logan asked, “Do you mind if I start a fire?”
She smiled. “That would be great.” Alex opened her bag and took out the can of disinfectant spray she always had with her. She kept a smaller can in her purse. “The room might smell for a few minutes.”
Logan, who was tearing open a packaged log, turned and frowned at her. “You really do have a germ phobia, don’t you? You know the hotels clean the rooms before their guests check in.”
Alex shook her head. “You’d be shocked to learn how many germs are left behind by maintenance staff who rush through a cleaning.” She quickly sprayed the room and the bathroom. By the time she was finished, Logan had the fire going.
“So now I sit down on a wet couch?” he asked. “I think I’m getting used to it, though.”
“Very funny. It dries quickly.”
“Actually, it smells pretty good.”
Alex grinned at him. “Lilac Spring. I like it.”
“When I smelled this scent at Quantico, I thought it was you.”
Alex laughed. “I have cologne with the same scent. I like lilacs.” She walked over to the kitchen. “Let me see what we’ve got to drink.” She opened the fridge. Water. Then she checked a basket with lots of packets stuffed inside. The last thing she wanted was coffee. She hoped to get a good night’s sleep. She needed it. She spotted something that seemed to fit the bill. “How about a cup of hot chocolate?” she asked.
“Perfect.”
As the fire blazed and warmed the room, Alex took two cups from the shelf next to the sink. She examined them carefully. They looked clean, but you never knew. She rinsed them both with hot water. Then she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and filled each cup before putting them in the microwave. As she waited for the water to heat, she glanced around. The counter looked clean, but when Logan left, she’d sanitize it. You couldn’t be too careful.
When the microwave dinged, she took the cups out and stirred in the chocolate mix. When the little clumps of powder had finally dissolved, she carried the cups back to where Logan waited on the couch. He stood when she neared.
“I’m sorry. I should have offered to help,” he said. “Must be the fumes.”
“Ha-ha.” As she handed him a cup, she could see the redness in his eyes. He was exhausted just like she was. They’d had no sleep the night before, and it showed.
Alex sat down in a chair across from him, next to the fireplace. It had a matching ottoman. She stretched her legs out and leaned back into the overstuffed cushion. It was still a little damp, but that didn’t bother her. She was confident the germs were gone. The chair was so comfortable she was pretty sure she could spend the night there if she felt like it.
“I’m concerned that we’re too late to save this last victim,” Logan said.
“But the ME said victim number five had been dead for less than forty-eight hours. We’re getting faster.”
“But wasn’t that because Walker sent us those clues for Union Station in his letter?”
She frowned. “Maybe.”
“I think he’s accelerating his plan, Alex. He was impatient for us to find his fifth victim so he gave us clues. And I think he’s going to speed up this next one too. He’s in a hurry to bring this judgment on the world.”
“But Stephen said they couldn’t find any message with the guy at Union Station.”
“That’s because he already gave it to us.”
“He did?”
“Yeah, in his last letter. He capitalized all the letters when he said, ‘LONG LIVE THE MASTER!’ That was the message.”
