by J. L. Brown
“You paid him to tweet to throw off the feds. And then what? Were you going to set him up as the fall guy?”
“He was paid handsomely for his insignificant efforts.”
“Were the sonnets supposed to throw them off too?”
She nodded. “I tried to select the most appropriate sonnet for each victim, but I knew the media and the FBI wouldn’t be able to resist murders with a literary connection. Zoe, of all people, gave me the idea. Before she came up with the name Astrea, she was going to name the program Dark Lady.”
“She knows what you’ve been up to?”
“She didn’t. She might’ve figured it out by now, though.”
He seemed to consider this.
“It was a means to accomplish our goals while throwing law enforcement off the scent,” she continued. “They were looking for a serial killer with a passion for Shakespeare. While we were eliminating the enemies of the republic one by one.”
“‘Our goals.’”
“The end justified the means.”
“Why Hurley? You did the Russians a favor.”
“She’s the CEO of a public company. She can be replaced.”
“And Tishman? He brokered the deal with Hurley to create a product to protect our election system. Didn’t you think he was of some utility?”
She shrugged. “I never liked him.”
“Seems rash.”
“Good riddance. But Judy Porter wasn’t me.”
“I know,” he said. “What about Fairchild? Was assassinating her a means to an end?”
“God, no,” she said, horrified. “That wasn’t part of the plan. How was I to know she’d go rogue?”
“How did you connect with her?”
“Dev? We knew each other from another life.”
“You dated?”
“We went to school together.”
“Paine isn’t happy,” he said, stepping forward to admire the painting over the fireplace, his hands behind his back. “You shouldn’t have gone rogue.”
“It had to be done.” She shook her head, her hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back. “Besides, it was a one-time thing. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re right about that.” Detective Kurt McClaine touched the silencer to the middle of Kyle Madison’s forehead. “Hurley isn’t the only one who can be replaced.”
He fired.
THE END
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to:
My editor: Leah Wohl-Pollack.
My proofreader: Michael Manahan.
Jim and Mo Herring. It was a privilege to meet you and share that magical Final Four weekend. Go Dawgs!
My writing companion and king of our household: Fitzgerald, my cat.
My children Jasmine, Travis, and Brandon for being a part of the jlbrownauthor crew.
My amazing wife, manager, and editor, Audi, who is with me on every page. Your love and support are invaluable. Always.
My readers who read, reviewed, followed me on social media, subscribed to my newsletter, and spread the word about Don’t Speak, Rule of Law, and Few Are Chosen. Thank you for allowing Jade, Whitney, Cole, and the rest of the Jade Harrington family into your lives. You have no idea how much it means to me.
About the Author
J. L. Brown is the author of the Jade Harrington novels, Don’t Speak, Rule of Law, and The Divide, and the short story, Few Are Chosen. J. L. lives with her family in Seattle, Washington, where she is hard at work writing her next novel.
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