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

about Joseph. But although he wasn’t Joseph’s father, I never believed he would do anything to harm him. I couldn’t think that. Ever. Until today.’
    A desperate cry came from the other side of the roof terrace and Roscoe quickly ran across the bridge to the shallow end of the pool. What he saw stopped him instantly.
    Kneeling at the far end of the pool was the unmasked killer. In front of him, Peter Savage floated in the pool, his throat cut.
    Blood traced the water.
    The killer gripped Savage by the hair, pulling his head above the water to stop him from drowning and allowing him to slowly bleed to death. Roscoe could see Savage was still alive.
    ‘Joseph. It is Joseph, isn’t it?’ Roscoe said, the calmness in his voice at odds with the horror rising inside of him. ‘This has to stop. Why don’t we start by pulling Inspector Savage out of the water?’
    He started to take small steps along the edge of the pool, towards Joseph Harlington. As he did, Jocasta came forward and stood motionless by the shallow end. She looked lovingly at her son’s face, which bore such a great resemblance to her own, for the first time in sixteen years. Water gently lapped his hands, washing away Savage’s blood.
    Tension rising within him, Roscoe continued to walk towards the killer. ‘Joseph, let’s pull Inspector Savage out of the pool.’
    When Joseph Harlington looked up and fixed his eyes upon him, Roscoe felt afraid. Never before had he seen such depth of hatred.
    ‘Come one step further and I will blow his brains out.’
    As Savage fought for his life, his blood spreading across the pool, Roscoe kept talking. ‘Joseph, let’s get him out of the water. I can help you.’
    Almost imperceptibly he edged forward.
    ‘I told you not to come any further. You should know by now when I say something I mean it.’
    And then Joseph ripped a gun from the back of his belt, pressed the barrel into Savage’s temple and pulled the trigger.

CHAPTER 24
    SAVAGE’S HEAD EXPLODED into the infinity pool. Screaming, Jocasta Harlington collapsed to her knees.
    ‘Joseph, no. No more. Stop this. Please!’ she cried.
    Standing at the top of the pool, Savage’s brains and blood splattered across him, Joseph looked at his mother for the first time.
    ‘I told him not to come any further.’ He turned to Roscoe. ‘I did tell you not to come any further.’
    ‘Is that it now, Joseph?’ asked Roscoe, struck by his childlike logic. ‘Have you done what you came to do?’
    Still holding the gun, Joseph looked down at Savage’s shattered body floating in the pool.
    ‘He was one of them. Every week he would come. Same time each week. He was the worst. He liked to beat me first. And then he’d rape me. He’d make the others watch. And then he’d do the same to them.’ He looked at his mother. ‘Sixteen years ago he was the one who took me from our house. He loved to tell me that.’
    ‘God help us, Joseph, no more. Let it be over now,’ pleaded Jocasta, getting to her feet. ‘Please let it be over.’
    ‘He told me how you all moved away. How you’d sold our house. How you didn’t live there any more. How I could never go back home. That you didn’t want me. Can’t you see that for me it can’t ever be over?’
    ‘That’s not true, Joseph,’ Jocasta sobbed. ‘I never stopped thinking about you. Every single day. I wanted nothing more than for you to come home. Let me take you home now.’ Reaching her arms out to her son, she started to walk slowly down the side of the pool towards him. On the opposite side, Roscoe took his chance to do the same.
    ‘You’ve got no idea!’ Joseph shouted at her. ‘We were never let out. Day or night. We were trapped in a dungeon. After Savage, Duncan would only come every couple of months. I always thought he only really got involved for the money. Dad’s money.’
    Joseph could see his mother stepping forward.
    ‘Don’t come any closer!’
    He started frantically waving his gun in the