The Postcard Killers Read online

  He means Wisty. The One wants her fire.

  It’s like Boy Wonder’s been rehearsing his lines on action figures. This is the twerp who’s bringing us in? He won’t pull the trigger, not without Captain Ferret’s say-so, and even with an injured hand, I could easily deck him—

  But before I get that far, his eyes flutter closed and he crumples to the ground.

  I pick up the object that nailed him in the back of the head. A snow globe?

  In the entryway behind him is that same big-eyed, grim-faced little girl who was watching me in the square. She looks fierce, her tiny mouth twisting in annoyance.

  The expression kind of reminds me of Wisty at the height of her frustration with me, actually. The girl’s standing outside the door, beckoning me into the alleyway.

  “You just gonna gawk at me, wizard boy? I’ve got more where that came from, if you need a little nap.”

  “You have two choices,” the pint-sized vigilante professes.

  I look at her warily. There’s no telling if she’s really on my side. They’ve used kids to get to us before, and there are almost no rebels left in this Capital. There’s a reward for our capture, no doubt; maybe she’s got dark motives.

  She’s filthy and bone-thin, but she’s got this strangely confident expression on her face. And—weirder—she’s wearing antlers.

  Then it sinks in: the Holiday.

  In my panic I must’ve missed the details. Though celebrating the Holiday is forbidden under pain of death, out the window, I see hints of it everywhere: ribbons clipped onto New Order flags, candles winking from window sills, and ice sculptures like Wisty and Mom went nuts for—only these are shimmering tributes to The One.

  “You have two choices,” the little girl repeats impatiently. “And they are your choices, and yours alone.”

  She’s got her hands on her hips, her round, silvery eyes glaring out of her tiny face. She must be around seven or eight, but her face looks way older, like one of the wizened old elves Wisty and I used to read about in The Necklace King series—back when we got a kick out of fantasy books and didn’t know we actually had magical powers.

  “You can either come with me, or let the red-haired girl die. It’s no big thing for me,” the little fountain of goodwill says, like death is something she’s intimately familiar with, even bored by. “You should dump her and save yourself.” She eyes Wisty and frowns. “That’s what I’d do.”

  Contents

  Front Cover Image

  Welcome

  A Preview of Kill Me if You Can

  A Preview of Witch & Wizard: The Fire

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  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

  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

  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

  Part Two

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  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

  Chapter 100

  Chapter 101

  Chapter 102

  Chapter 103

  Chapter 104

  Chapter 105

  Chapter 106

  Chapter 107

  Chapter 108

  Chapter 109

  Chapter 110

  Chapter 111

  Chapter 112

  Chapter 113

  Chapter 114

  Part Three

  Chapter 115

  Chapter 116

  Chapter 117

  Chapter 118

  Chapter 119

  Chapter 120

  Chapter 121

  Chapter 122

  Chapter 123

  Chapter 124

  Chapter 125

  Chapter 126

  Chapter 127

  Chapter 128

  Chapter 129

  Chapter 130

  Chapter 131

  Chapter 132

  Chapter 133

  Chapter 134

  Chapter 135

  Chapter 136

  Chapter 137

  Chapter 138

  Epilogue

  Chapter 139

  Chapter 140

  Acknowledgments

  About the Authors

  Books by James Patterson

  Acclaim for The Postcard Killers

  Copyright

  About the Authors

  JAMES PATTERSON has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1976, James Patterson’s books have sold more than 210 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women’s Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett.

  James Patterson also writes books for young readers, including the award-winning Maximum Ride, Daniel X, and Witch and Wizard series. In total, these books have spent more than 200 weeks on national bestseller lists, and all three series are in Hollywood development.

  His lifelong passion for books and reading led James Patterson to launch a new website, ReadKiddoRead.com, to give adults an easy way to locate the very best books for kids. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

  LIZA MARKLUND is a Swedish journalist and author of the Annika Bengtzon series, which has sold nine million copies in thirty languages
. She lives in Sweden and Spain.

  Books by James Patterson

  FEATURING ALEX CROSS

  Cross Fire

  I, Alex Cross

  Alex Cross’s Trial (with Richard DiLallo)

  Cross Country

  Double Cross

  Cross

  Mary, Mary

  London Bridges

  The Big Bad Wolf

  Four Blind Mice

  Violets Are Blue

  Roses Are Red

  Pop Goes the Weasel

  Cat & Mouse

  Jack & Jill

  Kiss the Girls

  Along Came a Spider

  THE WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB

  The 10th Anniversary (with Maxine Paetro)

  The 9th Judgment (with Maxine Paetro)

  The 8th Confession (with Maxine Paetro)

  7th Heaven (with Maxine Paetro)

  The 6th Target (with Maxine Paetro)

  The 5th Horseman (with Maxine Paetro)

  4th of July (with Maxine Paetro)

  3rd Degree (with Andrew Gross)

  2nd Chance (with Andrew Gross)

  1st to Die

  FEATURING MICHAEL BENNETT

  Tick Tock (with Michael Ledwidge)

  Worst Case (with Michael Ledwidge)

  Run for Your Life (with Michael Ledwidge)

  Step on a Crack (with Michael Ledwidge)

  FOR READERS OF ALL AGES

  Daniel X: The Manga 2

  Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life (with Chris Tebbetts)

  Maximum Ride: The Manga 4 (with NaRae Lee)

  Angel : A Maximum Ride Novel

  Witch & Wizard: The Gift (with Ned Rust)

  Daniel X: The Manga 1

  Maximum Ride: The Manga 3 (with NaRae Lee)

  Daniel X: Demons and Druids (with Adam Sadler)

  FANG: A Maximum Ride Novel

  Witch & Wizard (with Gabrielle Charbonnet)

  Maximum Ride: The Manga 2 (with NaRae Lee)

  Daniel X: Watch the Skies (with Ned Rust)

  MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel

  Maximum Ride: The Manga 1 (with NaRae Lee)

  Daniel X: Alien Hunter (graphic novel; with Leopoldo Gout)

  The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (with Michael Ledwidge)

  The Final Warning: A Maximum Ride Novel

  Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports: A Maximum Ride Novel

  School’s Out—Forever: A Maximum Ride Novel

  Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

  santaKid

  OTHER BOOKS

  Kill Me If You Can (with Marshall Karp)

  Now You See Her (with Michael Ledwidge)

  Toys (with Neil McMahon)

  Don’t Blink (with Howard Roughan)

  The Postcard Killers (with Liza Marklund)

  Private (with Maxine Paetro)

  The Murder of King Tut (with Martin Dugard)

  Swimsuit (with Maxine Paetro)

  Against Medical Advice (with Hal Friedman)

  Sail (with Howard Roughan)

  Sundays at Tiffany’s (with Gabrielle Charbonnet)

  You’ve Been Warned (with Howard Roughan)

  The Quickie (with Michael Ledwidge)

  Judge & Jury (with Andrew Gross)

  Beach Road (with Peter de Jonge)

  Lifeguard (with Andrew Gross)

  Honeymoon (with Howard Roughan)

  Sam’s Letters to Jennifer

  The Lake House

  The Jester (with Andrew Gross)

  The Beach House (with Peter de Jonge)

  Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas

  Cradle and All

  When the Wind Blows

  Miracle on the 17th Green (with Peter de Jonge)

  Hide & Seek

  The Midnight Club

  Black Friday (originally published as Black Market)

  See How They Run (originally published as The Jericho Commandment)

  Season of the Machete

  The Thomas Berryman Number

  For previews of upcoming books and more information about James Patterson, please visit JamesPatterson.com or find him on Facebook or at your app store.

  Acclaim For

  THE POSTCARD KILLERS

  “A GREAT CRIME FICTION NOVEL… SOLID, FAST-PACED, WITH SOME SMART TWISTS AND TURNS, AND QUITE SUSPENSEFUL… Two quite different writing styles, two very different backgrounds… and it moves at a blistering pace.”

  —ScandinavianBooks.com

  “THE STORY WAS BEYOND FAST-PACED. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN. The killers were despicable and their fate was kept unpredictable.”

  —BookRevues.blogspot.com

  “THIS NOVEL IS A FAST-MOVING AND COMPELLING READ MARKED BY SHORT CHAPTERS, WHICH KEEP THE READER’S INTEREST.”

  —Suite101.com

  “I LIKED DESSIE RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING… THE CLIMAX WAS PERFECT. AND THE EPILOGUE WAS SWEET… ANOTHER PERFECT JAMES PATTERSON NOVEL. No unneeded details or descriptions, vivid descriptions bring mental pictures to mind that make you shudder, characters that are complicated with simple words, and short chapters make this a quick, but very enjoyable, read. Highly recommended!”

  —BookaholicsReview.wordpress.com

  “THIS IS AN EXCITING AND ABSORBING MYSTERY THRILLER. Both the exotic European locations and the references to art works and theories add to the satisfying plot… ANOTHER PATTERSON WINNER!”

  —RoadtripAmerica.com

  “A GRIPPING AND QUICK READ.”

  —Eurocrime.co.uk

  “KEPT ME TOTALLY ENGAGED AND READING MUCH LONGER THAN I SHOULD HAVE—being later to work than I originally planned. Although this is not a ‘short’ book, it is a quick, easy read.”

  —TheFriendlyBookNook.com

  RAVES FOR JAMES PATTERSON

  “PATTERSON KNOWS WHERE OUR DEEPEST FEARS ARE BURIED… THERE’S NO STOPPING HIS IMAGINATION.”

  —New York Times Book Review

  “THE MAN IS A MASTER OF HIS GENRE. We fans all have one wish for him: Write even faster.”

  —Larry King, USA Today

  “WHEN IT COMES TO CONSTRUCTING A HARROWING PLOT, AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON CAN TURN A SCREW ALL RIGHT.”

  —New York Daily News

  “JAMES PATTERSON KNOWS HOW TO SELL THRILLS AND SUSPENSE IN CLEAR, UNWAVERING PROSE.”

  —People

  “PATTERSON HAS MASTERED THE ART OF WRITING PAGE-TURNING BESTSELLERS.”

  —Chicago Sun-Times

  “JAMES PATTERSON WRITES HIS THRILLERS AS IF HE WERE BUILDING ROLLER COASTERS. He grounds the stories with a bare-bones plot, then builds them over the top and tries to throw readers for a loop a few times along the way.”

  —Associated Press

  “A MUST-READ AUTHOR… A MASTER OF THE CRAFT.”

  —Providence Sunday Journal

  “THE PAGE-TURNINGEST AUTHOR IN THE GAME RIGHT NOW.”

  —San Francisco Chronicle

  “JAMES PATTERSON ALWAYS DELIVERS A FASCINATING, ACTION-PACKED THRILLER.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “ONE OF THE BESTSELLING WRITERS IN HISTORY.”

  —New York Sun

  “PATTERSON IS A MASTER.”

  —Toronto Globe and Mail

  Copyright

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Grand Central Publishing Edition

  Copyright © 2010 by James Patterson

  Excerpt from Kill Me If You Can Copyright © 2011 by James Patterson

  Excerpt from Witch & Wizard: The Fire Copyright © 2011 by James Patterson

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Grand Central Publishing

  Hachette Book Group

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  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

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  Second eBook Edition: July 2011

  Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  ISBN: 978-0-316-12771-4