Alors - Is it necessarily in the French translation?

The English is " Martine then asked ", so the starting question perhaps should be is the 'then' needed in English ? As it is there, the inclusion of ' alors ' makes a more direct translation than if it is left out. 

Additionally, it is very much more colloquial with the inclusion of ' alors ' in this conext in French, regardless of whether ' then ' was used in English or not.