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Prologue

Catch a Spider

Chapter 1

Washington, DC

THE CROSS house enty paces away and the proxiht of it made Gary Soneji’s skin prickle It was Victorian-style, white shingled, and extremely well kept As Soneji stared across Fifth Street, he slowly bared his teeth in a sneer that could have passed for a smile This was perfect He had come here to murder Alex Cross and his family

His eyesfrom the crisp, white lace curtains to Cross’s old piano on the sunporch, to a Batutter of the roof Daht

On two occasions he caught sight of Cross’s elderly grandmother as she shuffled past one of the downstairs s Nana Ma, purposeless life would soon be at an end That made him feel so much better Enjoy every moment — stop and smell the roses, Soneji reminded himself Taste the roses, eat Alex Cross’s roses — flowers, stems, and thorns

He finallycareful to stay in the shadows Then he disappeared into the thick yews and forsythia bushes that ran like sentries alongside the front of the house

He carefully made his way to a ashed cellar door, which was to one side of the porch, just off the kitchen It had a Master padlock, but he had the door open in seconds

He was inside the Cross house!

He was in the cellar: The cellar was a clue for those who collected them The cellar orth a thousand words A thousand forensic pictures, too