"Have you gotten the call from the Vatican?" Beans asked.

"Aww, Papa. It's a rumor, nothing more. And that's the really big scoop. Now, pleeease pardon me. I have to go to church. I have a Ma.s.s to say."

"Bri-gid! Bri-gid!"

Flowers flew at me, and hands grabbed at my skirts, and Jason Beans stepped in front of us and wedged open a path. Gilly and I drafted behind him. We crossed the street, and there, midblock, stood the homey brick church that had anch.o.r.ed this neighborhood for a century.

People crowded us from all directions, calling out, "We love you, Brigid. Brigid, will you remember us when you're living in Rome?"

"I remember you right here and now, Luann. See you in church."

By the time we reached the entrance to St. Paul's, thousands were being funneled through the narrow streets, toward the entrance, and they understood that only a few hundred would fit inside the small neighborhood church. The panic was starting. They all wanted to see me.

Gilly was twisting in my arms, waving, laughing into the crook of my neck. "Mom, this is so great."

With Beans acting as the tip of the spear, I entered the sacristy with my daughter still in my arms. I thanked the reporter, who shot his last, desperate questions at me.

I told him, "I'll see you after Ma.s.s, Papa, I promise," and closed the door.

I let Gilly down, and she fed our pet tabby cat, Birdie. Then my little girl ran out to the nave and squeezed her way into a front pew. I crossed myself, and hoping that I would find the right words, I walked out to the altar.

The air was supercharged with expectation.

I looped the stole around my neck and stepped up to the altar. But instead of beginning the Ma.s.s in the traditional manner, I spoke to the congregation in the most personal way I knew how.

"That was a pretty rough scene out on DeWolfe Street," I said to the congregants. "But I'm glad we're all together now on this momentous Easter Sunday. We have a lot to reflect upon and much to pray for."

A bearded man jumped to his feet at the rear of the church and called my name, demanding my attention.

"Look here, Brigid. Look at me."

Did I know him? I couldn't make out his face from where I stood, but then he walked up the aisle, crossed himself, and slipped his hand into his jacket.

In front of me, Gilly shouted, "Mom!" her face contorted in fear. But before I could speak to my precious daughter, I heard a cracking sound and felt a punch to my shoulder. I reached my hand out to Gilly.

There was another crack, and I staggered back and grabbed at the altar cloth, pulling it and everything on the altar down around me.

I fought hard to stay in the present. I tried to get to my feet, but I was powerless. The light dimmed. The screams faded, and I was dropping down into a bottomless blackness, and I couldn't break my fall.

About the Authors.

James Patterson received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 2015 National Book Awards. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers, and his books have sold more than 325 million copies worldwide. A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, Patterson has created a new children's book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: "We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say, 'PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.'" He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and funds over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at twenty-four colleges and universities. He has also donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

Michael Ledwidge is the author of The Narrowback, Bad Connection, and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. He is also the coauthor of the Michael Bennett series with James Patterson.

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Books by James Patterson.

Featuring Alex Cross.

Cross Justice * Hope to Die * Cross My Heart * Alex Cross, Run * Merry Christmas, Alex Cross * Kill Alex Cross * Cross Fire * I, Alex Cross * Alex Cross's Trial (with Richard DiLallo) * Cross Country * Double Cross * Cross (also published as Alex 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.

15th Affair (with Maxine Paetro) * 14th Deadly Sin (with Maxine Paetro) * Unlucky 13 (with Maxine Paetro) * 12th of Never (with Maxine Paetro) * 11th Hour (with Maxine Paetro) * 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.

Bullseye (with Michael Ledwidge) * Alert (with Michael Ledwidge) * Burn (with Michael Ledwidge) * Gone (with Michael Ledwidge) * I, Michael Bennett (with Michael Ledwidge) * Tick Tock (with Michael Ledwidge) * Worst Case (with Michael Ledwidge) * Run for Your Life (with Michael Ledwidge) * Step on a Crack (with Michael Ledwidge)

The Private Novels

The Games (with Mark Sullivan) * Private Paris (with Mark Sullivan) * Private Vegas (with Maxine Paetro) * Private India: City on Fire (with Ashwin Sanghi) * Private Down Under (with Michael White) * Private L.A. (with Mark Sullivan) * Private Berlin (with Mark Sullivan) * Private London (with Mark Pearson) * Private Games (with Mark Sullivan) * Private: #1 Suspect (with Maxine Paetro) * Private (with Maxine Paetro)

NYPD Red Novels

NYPD Red 4 (with Marshall Karp) * NYPD Red 3 (with Marshall Karp) * NYPD Red 2 (with Marshall Karp) * NYPD Red (with Marshall Karp)

Summer Novels

Second Honeymoon (with Howard Roughan) * Now You See Her (with Michael Ledwidge) * Swimsuit (with Maxine Paetro) * Sail (with Howard Roughan) * Beach Road (with Peter de Jonge) * Lifeguard (with Andrew Gross) * Honeymoon (with Howard Roughan) * The Beach House (with Peter de Jonge)

Stand-alone Books.

Filthy Rich (with John Connolly and Timothy Malloy) * The Murder House (with David Ellis) * Truth or Die (with Howard Roughan) * Miracle at Augusta (with Peter de Jonge) * Invisible (with David Ellis) * First Love (with Emily Raymond) * Mistress (with David Ellis) * Zoo (with Michael Ledwidge) * Guilty Wives (with David Ellis) * The Christmas Wedding (with Richard DiLallo) * Kill Me If You Can (with Marshall Karp) * Toys (with Neil McMahon) * Don't Blink (with Howard Roughan) * The Postcard Killers (with Liza Marklund) * The Murder of King Tut (with Martin Dugard) * Against Medical Advice (with Hal Friedman) * Sundays at Tiffany's (with Gabrielle Charbonnet) * You've Been Warned (with Howard Roughan) * The Quickie (with Michael Ledwidge) * Judge & Jury (with Andrew Gross) * Sam's Letters to Jennifer * The Lake House * The Jester (with Andrew Gross) * 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 * Season of the Machete * The Thomas Berryman Number.

For Readers of All Ages.

Maximum Ride.

Maximum Ride Forever * Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure * Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel * Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel * Max: A Maximum Ride Novel * 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 * The Angel Experiment: A Maximum Ride Novel

Daniel X

Daniel X: Lights Out (with Chris Grabenstein) * Daniel X: Armageddon (with Chris Grabenstein) * Daniel X: Game Over (with Ned Rust) * Daniel X: Demons and Druids (with Adam Sadler) * Daniel X: Watch the Skies (with Ned Rust) * The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (with Michael Ledwidge)

Witch & Wizard

Witch & Wizard: The Lost (with Emily Raymond) * Witch & Wizard: The Kiss (with Jill Dembowski) * Witch & Wizard: The Fire (with Jill Dembowski) * Witch & Wizard: The Gift (with Ned Rust) * Witch & Wizard (with Gabrielle Charbonnet)

Middle School.

Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park) * Middle School: Save Rafe! (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park) * Middle School: Ultimate Showdown (with Julia Bergen, ill.u.s.trated by Alec Longstreth) * Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park) * Middle School: My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar (with Lisa Papademetriou, ill.u.s.trated by Neil Swaab) * Middle School: Get Me Out of Here! (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park) * Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life (with Chris Tebbetts, ill.u.s.trated by Laura Park)

Confessions.

Confessions: The Murder of an Angel (with Maxine Paetro) * Confessions: The Paris Mysteries (with Maxine Paetro) * Confessions: The Private School Murders (with Maxine Paetro) * Confessions of a Murder Suspect (with Maxine Paetro)