The Hostage: BookShots (Hotel Series) by James Patterson Page B

could be the motive for such vicious attacks?
    Roscoe had seen men and woman kill and be killed. He had seen rage, fear, greed and passion, but the act of killing was almost always their last act. With this killer, such was the fury, the killing alone was not enough: the death had to be brutal, the corpse mutilated. These were some of the most horrific deaths Roscoe had seen in his career. He thought that if he could comprehend what was behind such violence, he might be able to understand what was driving the killer, and what he planned next. And these weren’t random killings: Roscoe could see everything had been meticulously planned. His passage around the hotel had been carefully plotted. He was certain the killer had already decided exactly what his next move would be.
    Counting off each luxury floor of the hotel, Roscoe saw the service elevator had reached its final destination. The fortieth floor.
    He crossed the kitchen and stood at the open door Aunt Jessie had come through. He thought how less than twenty-four hours before, he had explored the top floor of the hotel. Standing on the glass-floored terrace, looking over the sparkling water flowing from the infinity pool, he and Stanley had marvelled at the latest addition to the Tribeca Luxury Hotel collection. They had walked all the public spaces in preparation for today’s preview of the hotel. Had they missed something? Had they both been so taken with the brilliance of the hotel they’d become distracted from its security? Roscoe knew that somehow somebody had gained access to the secure areas of the hotel, which had allowed him to cause devastation beyond belief and had left Stanley’s life hanging in the balance. He told himself he’d even put Aunt Jessie in danger. How had he let that happen? He was here to protect people, especially those he loved.
    In his mind, he retraced his steps through the hotel. He was certain he hadn’t missed anything. The hotel had been secure ahead of the opening. There was no way for someone to gain such unlimited access around the hotel – but this man had. How had he found his way to Jackson Harlington’s suite? How did he have such an in-depth knowledge of the hotel? And what was driving him?
    To kill Jackson Harlington in such a sacrificial manner could only have been caused by absolute hatred of the man. But what of Michael Duncan, and now Richard Winn? Were the three deaths linked? Roscoe was convinced they had to be. But he needed to be absolutely certain; he needed to speak to Anna Conquest.
    Stepping back into the kitchen and closing the open door, Roscoe felt the killer was ready to play out his final performance. He had made his way to the summit of the hotel, and Roscoe was convinced that was where he would finally meet him.

CHAPTER 18
    IN THE LOBBY of the hotel, Inspector Savage was beginning the evacuation. He knew the dangers of evacuating over a hundred people through the front of the hotel, and how they would represent an open target for anyone in the hotel intent on carrying out further random killings. But Savage knew these killings weren’t random.
    Jackson Harlington had been a target.
    Michael Dunn had been a target.
    Savage had police marksmen positioned outside the front of the hotel, with instructions to open fire if the killer showed himself. Snipers were ready to take him down if he appeared on any one of the hotel’s forty floors. A plan had been established, with all of the evacuees issued with clear instructions. The front entrance of the hotel would be opened. Exit would be in single file with a right turn created twenty yards into the garden, leading to a neighbouring property. Within the neighbouring property a safe area had been established where witnesses would be questioned and statements taken.
    Police protocol would be followed. Savage knew it was the right thing to do. Except he also knew police protocol wouldn’t catch this killer. The only way this could end was with a bullet