15th Affair Read online

  Contents

  About the Book

  About the Authors

  Also by James Patterson

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Part One

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Part Two

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Part Three

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Part Four

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Chapter 81

  Chapter 82

  Chapter 83

  Chapter 84

  Chapter 85

  Chapter 86

  Chapter 87

  Chapter 88

  Chapter 89

  Chapter 90

  Chapter 91

  Chapter 92

  Chapter 93

  Chapter 94

  Chapter 95

  Chapter 96

  Chapter 97

  Chapter 98

  Chapter 99

  Epilogue

  Chapter 100

  Chapter 101

  Chapter 102

  Chapter 103

  Sneak Preview

  Acknowledgments

  MEET THE WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB

  Copyright

  ABOUT THE BOOK

  Four bodies are found in a luxury hotel

  The first is a man who checked in under a false name. Two are in a room next door, full of surveillance equipment. And the fourth is the house maid, who saw too much.

  Detective Lindsay Boxer is sent in to investigate and hunt down an elusive and dangerous suspect. But when her husband Joe goes missing, she begins to fear that the suspect she is searching for could be him.

  As the case gets ever more complicated and personal, San Francisco is suddenly faced with an atrocity no one will ever forget.

  Sometimes secrets can be deadly…

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. Since winning the Edgar™ Award for Best First Novel with The Thomas Berryman Number, his books have sold in excess of 300 million copies worldwide and he has been the most borrowed author in UK libraries for the past eight years in a row. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.

  James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books specifically for young readers. James is a founding partner of Booktrust’s Children’s Reading Fund in the UK.

  MAXINE PAETRO is the author of three novels and two works of nonfiction, and she is the coauthor of the Women’s Murder Club series with James Patterson. She lives in New York with her husband.

  Also by James Patterson

  1ST TO DIE

  Four friends come together to form the Women’s

  Murder Club. Their job? To find a killer who is

  brutally slaughtering newly-wed couples on

  their wedding night.

  2ND CHANCE

  (with Andrew Gross)

  The Women’s Murder Club tracks a mystifying serial

  killer, but things get dangerous when he turns

  his pursuers into prey.

  3RD DEGREE

  (with Andrew Gross)

  A wave of violence sweeps the city, and whoever is

  behind it is intent on killing someone every three

  days. Now he has targeted one of the Women’s

  Murder Club …

  4TH OF JULY

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  In a deadly shoot-out, Detective Lindsay Boxer

  makes a split-second decision that threatens

  everything she’s ever worked for.

  THE 5TH HORSEMAN

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  Recovering patients are dying inexplicably in

  hospital. Nobody is claiming responsibility.

  Could these deaths be tragic coincidences,

  or something more sinister?

  THE 6TH TARGET

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  Children from rich families are being abducted off

  the streets – but the kidnappers aren’t demanding

  a ransom. Can Lindsay Boxer find the children

  before it’s too late?

  7TH HEAVEN

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  The hunt for a deranged murderer with a taste for

  fire and the disappearance of the governor’s son

  have pushed Lindsay to the limit. The trails have

  gone cold. But a raging fire is getting ever closer,

  and somebody will get burned.

  8TH CONFESSION

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  Four celebrities are found killed and there

  are no clues: the perfect crime. Few people

  are as interested when a lowly preacher

  is murdered. But could he have been

  hiding a dark secret?

  9TH JUDGEMENT

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  A psychopathic killer targets San Francisco’s most

  innocent and vulnerable, while a burglary gone

  horribly wrong leads to a high-profile murder.

  10TH ANNIVERSARY

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  A badly injured teenage girl is left for dead,

  and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found.

  But is the victim keeping secrets?

  11TH HOUR

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  Is one of Detective Lindsay Boxer’s colleagues

  a vicious killer? She won’t know until the

  11th hour.r />
  12TH OF NEVER

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  A convicted serial killer wakes from a two-year

  coma. He says he’s ready to tell where the

  bodies are buried, but what does he

  want in return?

  UNLUCKY 13

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  Someone returns to San Francisco to pay a visit to

  some old friends. But a cheerful reunion is

  not on the cards.

  14TH DEADLY SIN

  (with Maxine Paetro)

  A new terror is sweeping the streets of San Francisco,

  and the killers are dressed in police uniform.

  Lindsay treads a dangerous line as she investigates

  whether the criminals are brilliant imposters or

  police officers gone rogue.

  ALEX CROSS NOVELS

  Along Came a Spider • Kiss the Girls • Jack and Jill •

  Cat and Mouse • Pop Goes the Weasel • Roses are Red •

  Violets are Blue • Four Blind Mice • The Big Bad Wolf •

  London Bridges • Mary, Mary • Cross • Double Cross •

  Cross Country • Alex Cross’s Trial (with Richard DiLallo) •

  I, Alex Cross • Cross Fire • Kill Alex Cross •

  Merry Christmas, Alex Cross • Alex Cross, Run •

  Cross My Heart • Hope to Die • Cross Justice

  DETECTIVE MICHAEL BENNETT SERIES

  Step on a Crack (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Run for Your Life (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Worst Case (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Tick Tock (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  I, Michael Bennett (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Gone (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Burn (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Alert (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  PRIVATE NOVELS

  Private (with Maxine Paetro) • Private London (with Mark Pearson) •

  Private Games (with Mark Sullivan) • Private: No. 1 Suspect (with

  Maxine Paetro) • Private Berlin (with Mark Sullivan) •

  Private Down Under (with Michael White) • Private L.A. (with Mark

  Sullivan) • Private India (with Ashwin Sanghi) •

  Private Vegas (with Maxine Paetro) •

  Private Sydney (with Kathryn Fox)

  NYPD RED SERIES

  NYPD Red (with Marshall Karp)

  NYPD Red 2 (with Marshall Karp)

  NYPD Red 3 (with Marshall Karp)

  NYPD Red 4 (with Marshall Karp)

  STAND-ALONE THRILLERS

  Sail (with Howard Roughan) • Swimsuit (with Maxine Paetro) • Don’t

  Blink (with Howard Roughan) • Postcard Killers (with Liza Marklund) •

  Toys (with Neil McMahon) • Now You See Her (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Kill Me If You Can (with Marshall Karp) • Guilty Wives (with

  David Ellis) • Zoo (with Michael Ledwidge) • Second Honeymoon (with

  Howard Roughan) • Mistress (with David Ellis) • Invisible (with

  David Ellis) • The Thomas Berryman Number • Truth or Die (with

  Howard Roughan) • Murder House (with David Ellis)

  NON-FICTION

  Torn Apart (with Hal and Cory Friedman) •

  The Murder of King Tut (with Martin Dugard)

  ROMANCE

  Sundays at Tiffany’s (with Gabrielle Charbonnet) •

  The Christmas Wedding (with Richard DiLallo) •

  First Love (with Emily Raymond)

  OTHER TITLES

  Miracle at Augusta (with Peter de Jonge)

  FAMILY OF PAGE-TURNERS

  MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKS

  The Worst Years of My Life (with Chris Tebbetts) •

  Get Me Out of Here! (with Chris Tebbetts) •

  My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar (with Lisa Papademetriou) •

  How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill (with Chris Tebbetts) •

  Ultimate Showdown (with Julia Bergen) • Save Rafe! (with Chris Tebbetts) •

  Just My Rotten Luck (with Chris Tebbetts)

  I FUNNY SERIES

  I Funny (with Chris Grabenstein) •

  I Even Funnier (with Chris Grabenstein) •

  I Totally Funniest (with Chris Grabenstein) •

  I Funny TV (with Chris Grabenstein)

  TREASURE HUNTERS SERIES

  Treasure Hunters (with Chris Grabenstein) •

  Danger Down the Nile (with Chris Grabenstein) •

  Secret of the Forbidden City (with Chris Grabenstein)

  HOUSE OF ROBOTS SERIES

  House of Robots (with Chris Grabenstein) •

  Robots Go Wild! (with Chris Grabenstein)

  OTHER ILLUSTRATED NOVELS

  Kenny Wright: Superhero (with Chris Tebbetts) •

  Homeroom Diaries (with Lisa Papademetriou)

  MAXIMUM RIDE SERIES

  The Angel Experiment • School’s Out Forever •

  Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports • The Final Warning •

  Max • Fang • Angel • Nevermore • Forever

  CONFESSIONS SERIES

  Confessions of a Murder Suspect (with Maxine Paetro) •

  The Private School Murders (with Maxine Paetro) •

  The Paris Mysteries (with Maxine Paetro) •

  The Murder of an Angel (with Maxine Paetro)

  WITCH & WIZARD SERIES

  Witch & Wizard (with Gabrielle Charbonnet) • The Gift (with Ned

  Rust) • The Fire (with Jill Dembowski) • The Kiss (with Jill Dembowski) •

  The Lost (with Emily Raymond)

  DANIEL X SERIES

  The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (with Michael Ledwidge) •

  Watch the Skies (with Ned Rust) • Demons and Druids (with Adam

  Sadler) • Game Over (with Ned Rust) • Armageddon (with Chris

  Grabenstein) • Lights Out (with Chris Grabenstein)

  GRAPHIC NOVELS

  Daniel X: Alien Hunter (with Leopoldo Gout) •

  Maximum Ride: Manga Vols. 1–8 (with NaRae Lee)

  For more information about James Patterson’s novels, visit www.jamespatterson.co.uk

  Or become a fan on Facebook

  To friends of the Women’s Murder Club

  PART ONE

  CHAPTER 1

  ALISON MULLER WASN’T classically beautiful, but she was striking, with swinging blonde hair and peekaboo bangs brushing the frames of her wraparound shades. Her black leather coat flared above the knees of her skinny jeans, and her purposeful stride was punctuated by the staccato clacking of her high-heeled boots.

  That afternoon, as she cut through the golden-hued lobby of San Francisco’s Four Seasons Hotel, Ali checked out every man, woman, and child crossing the floor, on the queue at reception, slouched in chairs in front of the fireplace. She noted and labeled the tourists and businesspeople, deflecting the stares of the men who couldn’t look away, while on the phone with her husband and their younger daughter, Mitzi.

  “I didn’t actually forget, Mitz,” Ali said to her five-year old. “More like I lost track.”

  “You did forget,” her daughter insisted.

  “Not completely. I thought your big day was tomorrow.”

  “Everyone wanted to know where you were,” her daughter complained.

  “I’ll make it up to you, sweetheart,” Ali said.

  “When? With what?”

  Ali’s thoughts ran ahead to the man waiting for her in a room on the fourteenth floor.

  “Let me speak to Daddy,” Ali said.

  She passed the stunning exhibition of modern art and reached the elevator bank at the northwest end of the lobby. She stood behind the couple in front of the doors. They were French, discussing their dinner plans, agreeing that they had enough time to shower and change.

  Ali thumbed her phone, checked her e-mail and the Investors Business Daily headlines and the text from Michael asking i
f she’d gotten lost. Ali’s husband came back on the line.

  “I did my best,” he said. “She’s inconsolable.”

  “You can handle her, dear. I’m sure you can do it. I’ll order her something online when I get home.”

  “Which will be when?” her husband asked.

  God. The questions. The never-ending questions.

  “After dinner,” Ali said. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t blow you off if it wasn’t important.”

  The elevator doors opened.

  “Gotta go.”

  Her husband said, “Say good-bye to Mitzi.”

  Shit.

  She said, “Hang on a minute. I’m losing reception.”

  Ali stepped into the elevator and stood with her back to the corner, her jacket parting to reveal the butt of a gun tucked into her waistband. The doors closed and the car rose swiftly and quietly upward.