Chapter 90

CHAPTER 90

MARPLE FLINCHED AS she felt the cold metal against her neck.

“Perfect, my dear,” said Paul. “Like clockwork.”

Glancing down, Marple saw the barrel flick toward Holmes and Poe. “Guns down, please.” The woman’s voice was in her ear. British accent.

Across the room, Paul had a sick, satisfied smile on his face. “Miss Marple. Mr. Poe. I don’t believe you’ve met my wife, Irene.”

Marple felt warm breath on her neck. “I said, guns down !” Marple watched as Poe and Holmes laid their pistols carefully on the floor. “Kick them away!” Irene ordered. They did.

“Now,” she said, “you will both stand aside so that Oliver and Helene can leave without interference. Otherwise, Miss Marple will be as dead as her London girlfriend.” Marple felt a hand tighten around her upper arm. “Sorry about Rebecca Tran, Margaret. She was getting too close.”

The voice. The accent. The Yorkshire dialect. Marple recognized it now. She’d listened to the same voice last night—for hours.

“I’m sorry too, Agnes,” she said.

Holmes glanced at Marple. “What’s going on?”

“This is not Irene Paul,” said Marple. “Her name is Agnes Matts. She’s behind all the kidnappings, and at least one murder. She believes in making the world safe for white people, and to hell with everybody else.”

“Oliver has his passions,” said Matts. “I have mine. We’re lucky we found each other.”

Something else clicked for Marple. “Right. Because you needed someone who could decipher a security band for you. And make exact replicas.”

“Oliver is very good with small objects,” said Matts.

Marple looked at Holmes. “That’s why he was at St. Michael’s. For a test.”

Paul grinned. “See that, Sherlock? Another mystery solved without your help. Maybe you were right. Maybe you never had the magic. Maybe all you inherited was a dog-eared letter.”

Holmes was shaken. Confused. Marple could see it. His face paled. He glanced past Matts into the hallway. “Your daughters! Brenda! Lily! Where are they?”

“Sold,” said Paul curtly.

For a second Marple thought Paul was making a cruel joke. But then she realized that he was dead serious.

“We were just holding them temporarily,” said Paul. “They’re both in new homes now. Superior homes. With excellent values.”

“You can’t put a price on family,” said Matts. “And I was never cut out for motherhood.” She pulled Marple back against the wall, clearing a path to the doorway.

“Time to go, Helene,” said Paul. He jerked her by the arm and pulled her toward the door, pistol firmly against her head. He glanced at Matts. “Where’s the car?”

Matts slipped a key fob into Paul’s pocket. “Two spaces to the right of the door.”

“Hold on,” said Paul. He paused for a moment and placed two fingers at the edge of the tape across Grey’s mouth. “We need to be presentable for the drive.” He ripped off the tape. Grey flinched in pain. The tape left an angry red stripe. Marple could see Poe’s body tensing, ready to lunge.

Grey gave a small shake of her head. “No,” she said softly. “Don’t.”

“Listen to your girlfriend,” said Paul, moving toward the door. “Sorry. Ex -girlfriend.”

Paul backed out of the room using Helene’s body as a shield. Once they were through the doorway, he jerked her around and hustled her ahead of him. Marple listened to the sound of their footsteps receding down the staircase.

Matts glared at Holmes and Poe. “Step back against the wall.” She leaned in, her lips brushing Marple’s ear. “You know, I wish I could have more respect for you, Margaret. But you can’t even keep your own firm pure.”

She pulled Marple around to face Holmes squarely. “If you want, we can eliminate your half-blood partner Holmes right now.” She flicked her pistol. “Say the word. One bullet and it’s over. He said he’s done with you anyway. Why not be done with him?”

Marple could feel her whole body trembling. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and held it for a moment. Then she let out a piercing cry and drove her elbow straight back into flesh and bone. The pistol fired, punching a hole in the floor. Marple whipped around and knocked the gun free. She grabbed Matts by the wrist and twisted. Something snapped. Matts screamed and dropped to the floor. Marple dropped right on top of her, knee on her spine. She grabbed the gun and jammed the barrel against the base of Agnes’s skull. It all happened in less than five seconds.

Holmes and Poe jumped to retrieve their guns.

“I’ve got her,” Marple shouted. “Go!”