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Prologue

WHAT IS YOUR NAME, SIR?

THOMPSON: I’m Jack Thompson, with the Berkshires Medical Center How many shots did you hear?

CROSS: Multiple shots

THOMPSON: What is your name, sir?

CROSS: Alex Cross

THOMPSON: Are you having trouble breathing? Experiencing any pain?

CROSS: Pain inaround Shortness of breath

THOMPSON: You know that you were shot?

CROSS: Yes Twice Is he dead? The Butcher? Michael Sullivan?

THOMPSON: I don’t know Several ive me a nonrebreather mask Tide-base IV lines, stat Two liters IV saline solution Now! We’re going to try to et you to a hospital immediately, Mr Cross Just hold on Can you still hear me? Are you with me?

CROSS: My kidstell them I love them

Part One

NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU THE WAY I DO—1989

Chapter 1

“I’M PREGNANT, ALEX”

Everything about the night is so very clear to me Still is, after all this ti that’s happened, the horrible murderers, the homicides solved and sometimes not

I stood in the darkened bedrooon her shoulder I was thirty-one then, and had never been happier at any time of my life

Nothing even caether, Maria, Damon, Jannie, and me

It was in the fall, a o it seems to me now

It was also past two in theterrible Poor sweet girl had been up for hts,Jannie in her ar “You Are So Beautiful,” and I hadher

I was the one who’d gotten up first, but I couldn’t seeet Jannie back to sleep no matter what tricks I tried Maria had come in and taken the baby after an hour or so We both had work early in theI was on a murder case

“You’re pregnant?” I said against Maria’s shoulder

“Bad ti, huh, Alex? You see a lot hts like this one?”