The Mephisto Club

convince me he’s
human.
”
    Jane’s cell phone rang, startling them both. As she answered the call, she could feel Lily’s gaze, tense and questioning.
She assumes the worst.
    It was Barry Frost on the phone. “Where are you right now?”
    “We’re still in Norwich. It’s late, so we’ll probably check into a motel tonight and get back to the city tomorrow.”
    “I think it’d be better if you don’t bring her back here.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because we have a big problem. Oliver Stark is dead.”
    “What?”
    “Someone used Stark’s phone to call nine-one-one, then left the receiver off the hook. That’s how we found out about it. I’m in his house right now. Christ, it’s a bloody mess in here. He’s still tied to his wheelchair, but you can’t even recognize him. The poor kid never had a chance.” There was a silence as he waited for her to speak. “Rizzoli?”
    “We have to warn the others. Sansone and Mrs. Felway.”
    “I’ve already called them, and Dr. Isles as well. Mephisto also has members in Europe, and they’re all taking precautions.”
    Jane thought of what Lily had just said.
You’ll never convince me he’s human.
What precautions could anyone take against a killer who seemed able to walk through walls?
    She said, “He’s hunting them all down.”
    “That’s what it looks like. This has grown way bigger than we thought. It’s not just about Lily Saul. It’s about the whole foundation.”
    “Why the hell is he doing this? Why’s he going after all of them?”
    “You know what Sansone called it?” said Frost. “An extermination. Maybe we’re wrong about Lily Saul. Maybe she’s not the real target.”
    “Either way, I can’t bring her back now.”
    “Lieutenant Marquette thinks she’ll be safer outside Boston, and I agree. We’re working on a long-term arrangement, but it’ll take a day or two.”
    “Until then, what do I do with her?”
    “Sansone suggested New Hampshire. A house up in the White Mountains. He says it’s secure.”
    “Whose house is it?”
    “It belongs to a friend of Mrs. Felway’s.”
    “And we’re going to trust Sansone’s judgment on this?”
    “Marquette okayed it. He says the brass doesn’t have any doubts about him.”
    Then they know more about Sansone than I do.
    “Okay,” she said. “How do I find this house?”
    “Mrs. Felway will call you with directions.”
    “What about Sansone and Maura? What are they going to do?”
    “They’re all heading to the same place. They’ll meet you there.”

THIRTY-SIX
    It was one in the afternoon when they crossed the Massachusetts state line, into New Hampshire. Lily had hardly said a word since they’d checked out of the motel that morning in Oneonta. Now, as they drove north into the White Mountains, the only sound was the squeak of the wipers scraping snowflakes off the windshield.
She’s too nervous for chitchat,
thought Jane, glancing at her silent companion. Last night, in their shared motel room, Jane had heard all the tossing and turning in the next bed, and today Lily’s eyes were sunken, her face gaunt enough almost to reveal the whiteness of bones through that pale skin. With a few extra pounds on her, Lily Saul might be pretty. But now, when Jane looked at her, what she saw was a walking corpse.
    That may be exactly what she is.
    “Are you going to stay with me tonight?” The question was so soft, it was almost lost in the sweep of the wipers.
    “I’m going to check out the situation,” said Jane. “See what I think about it.”
    “So you might not stay.”
    “You won’t be alone up there.”
    “I suppose you want to go home, don’t you?” Lily sighed. “Do you have a husband?”
    “Yeah, I’m married.”
    “And kids?”
    Jane hesitated. “I have a daughter.”
    “You don’t want to tell me about yourself. You don’t really trust me.”
    “I don’t know you well enough.”
    Lily looked out the window. “Everyone who really knew me is dead”—she paused—“except Dominic.”
    Outside, the falling snow was a thickening veil of white. They climbed through a dense forest of pine, and for the first time Jane felt uneasy about whether her Subaru could handle the road if this snowfall continued.
    “Why should you trust me?” said Lily with a bitter laugh. “I mean, all you know about me is that I tried to kill my cousin. And screwed it up.”
    “That message on Lori-Ann’s wall,” Jane said. “It was meant for you, wasn’t it?
I have