Picture Perfect Murder

by Rachel Dylan

  “What’s the latest news?” she asked Rex when he entered the room.

  “APD is doing the best they can with the information we gave them on the SUV, but without a license plate, it’s pretty much impossible to try to track down a car fitting its description in the city of Atlanta. It’s like a needle in a haystack.”

  “I hear you.” She took a seat on the couch. “My mind is in overdrive right now. Especially since I’m basically confined to the house. I just hate feeling so helpless.”

  “I’m sorry about having to stay in the house, but it’s the safest thing for you to do right now while we’re so uncertain about the situation.”

  “I appreciate you allowing us to stay here.”

  “Don’t even think another thought about that. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “You have a nice neighborhood. It seems like a great place to live.”

  “I enjoy it. But honestly, I spend so little time at home I find it doesn’t really matter if I have nice neighbors or not.”

  She nodded. “I get the whole being-married-to-the-job thing. I don’t think it’s a very good way to live, but I haven’t had any success trying to break away from that. Even now with my photography, I throw myself into my work. My friends are always trying to get me to do more things, and I probably should make a bigger effort to be social.”

  “Yeah, a lot of us in the FBI probably have a very bad work-life balance. But at least I’m not in denial about it.”

  “One day you may change your mind. You’ll want more out of life. A family, a dog, the whole nine yards.” Had she really just said that?

  “You’re right. I’ve just been enjoying the work so much that it doesn’t feel as though I’m missing out.”

  “I totally get it.”

  “How has the transition been from CIA agent to photographer?”

  Grace hopped up onto the sofa beside her and Lily was grateful for the distraction. “It’s interesting that you use the word transition because that’s exactly how it feels. It was kind of strange to come home and try to reconnect with my friends from childhood. I was worried that they’d be too different, or that they wouldn’t want anything to do with me because I’d been completely AWOL since college.”

  “But they greeted you with open arms?”

  “Yes. Especially Alison and Jackson. Guy gave me a bit of a harder time about being so disconnected, but as you know it isn’t as if I could tell them what I’d been doing. It was better for them to think I was just being selfish and self-involved as opposed to knowing the truth.”

  “Maybe one day years from now, when it’s safer, you’ll be able tell them about your CIA career.”

  She laughed. “I can’t even imagine what they’d say. I think they’d be shocked.”

  “Yeah. It’s not every day that you find out one of your friends had been a spy.”

  “Hopefully, one day they’ll know the true me without all the secrets. That would be nice. I think Alison would be a bit hurt, but I know they’d all appreciate that I took an oath to defend this country.”

  “Of course. You’re fortunate to have friends you can trust.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “I need to take this call.”

  As she watched him, his expression turned serious. His brow furrowed as he spoke into the phone. Now what? she thought. She really could use some good news after all of the bad things that had happened. But she had the feeling this wasn’t going to be the news she wanted.

  He ended the call. “That was Steffie Hood.”

  “Ugh,” she said. “What does she want now?”

  “She needs to see you at her office.”

  “Right now?”

  “Yes. She said the sooner the better and that there’s a time-sensitive issue she’d like to discuss with you in person. She was insistent. I think there might be a break in the case, Lily. But she was tight-lipped so I have no idea what it is.”

  “Then, I guess we have no choice but to go.” She stood up from the couch. “Let’s get going. I’d like to get this over with.”

  * * *

  Lily didn’t relish being summoned to Steffie Hood’s office once again. What did the prosecutor want with her now? To try to convince her to change her testimony? That certainly wasn’t going to happen.

  “I’m only coming here because you told me I had to,” Lily said to Rex.

  They took the now-familiar path up to the fourth floor, where Steffie was actually waiting in the reception area to greet them.

  Today the prosecutor wore her dark hair down and had on tortoiseshell reading glasses. Her impeccably tailored gray pantsuit looked more expensive than what one would expect she could afford on a prosecutor’s salary. But that was really none of Lily’s business.

  “Ms. Parker, thank you for coming in again on such short notice. Please follow me into the conference room.”

  The fact that Steffie didn’t even acknowledge Rex wasn’t lost on Lily, but the other woman didn’t object when Rex walked with them into the conference room.

  “Have a seat,” Steffie said. She also sat at the table, across from Lily.

  “What is this all about?” Lily asked. Better to just get on with it.

  “I actually have some news, and I wanted to share it with you personally before the inevitable media circus breaks out.”

  Lily realized she was gripping her chair for dear life. “What is it?”

  “Yesterday Officer Bishop provided a full confession.”

  Lily felt her eyes widen. “What?”

  Rex stood from his chair. “Yes, what do you mean?”

  “Everyone just take a deep breath and calm down,” Steffie said. “I’ll explain everything that I can.”

  Lily’s mind flooded with thoughts. How could this be possible? Hadn’t Sean’s lawyer just been out there adamantly defending him on the news? What could have possibly changed? What could’ve made Sean confess?

  “Lily, I know, based on our previous discussions, that you had serious reservations about Sean being the killer. I wanted us to meet again face-to-face, given the latest turn of events.”

  Lily’s heart thumped wildly as she prepared herself. “I’ll listen to whatever it is you have to say.”

  “First, I want to make clear that this confession was one hundred percent voluntary.”

  Rex was now pacing the room. “And how do we know that?” he asked, raking his fingers through his hair. “You’ve been on the hunt to get Sean from the moment he was arrested.”

  Steffie let out a sigh and looked at Rex over wire-framed glasses. “Agent Sullivan, I’d appreciate it if you kept your commentary to yourself. If you can’t, then I’d kindly ask you to let me speak with Ms. Parker privately.”

  Rex didn’t respond but crossed his arms over his chest and slumped back into his chair. Lily could tell that he was trying to hold his tongue.

  “Please continue,” Lily said. She wanted to hear this story for herself and then make a determination.

  “As I was saying.” Steffie looked down and back up at Lily. “Officer Bishop actually asked for a meeting with me. He fired his defense counsel, and I assumed he was going to ask me to recommend a public defender or something. But that wasn’t it at all.”

  “What exactly did he say?” Lily asked.

  “He said he wanted to make a deal. If I took the death penalty off the table, he would provide information about all of the murders. I told him that if his statement satisfied me I would do as he asked.”

  Lily sat back and took it all in, but she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “Then he point-blank said he wanted to confess to all of the killings. As you can imagine, this took me a bit by surprise.” She paused. “At that time Officer Bishop proceeded to provide details of e
xactly what happened with each of his victims.”

  “How is that possible?” Lily asked more to herself than to Steffie.

  “It’s possible because he is the killer, Ms. Parker. If I had any doubts before, those have been put to rest after hearing him discuss in great detail how he killed these women. It was literally one of the most disturbing confessions I’ve ever heard.”

  “How was his demeanor?” Rex asked.

  “He was very calm. Calculating even. I stared into the eyes of a cold-blooded killer. He showed no remorse. Not one ounce. But he said he wanted to confess because of you, Lily.”

  “Me? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I’m just conveying what he told me. He said that he was doing it for you.” Steffie reached out and grabbed Lily’s hands. “I get the sense that you don’t like me very much, Lily. And I’m perfectly fine with that. But you need to know that this nightmare is over. It’s really finished. He won’t be able to hurt you or other innocent women ever again. He will spend the rest of his life in prison for what he’s done.”

  “What about the attack at my house? Did he say who was responsible for that? And the recent incident on the road?”

  “Well, he didn’t provide a name yet, but he did say that he paid off a hired gun for both of those attacks. The same guy. He also confirmed the wire transfer information. APD is working on tracking down his accomplice based on the intel we’ve gathered so far.”

  “And what else did he say?”

  “Officer Bishop explained to me that he saw you out one day taking photographs in the park while he was on patrol and instantly was drawn to you. You were perfect in his mind because you already fit his victim profile. He’d already started down this deadly path.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “He deviated a bit from his regular plan in that he hired someone to kidnap you from your house as an experiment. But after the guy failed to capture you, Sean realized that if he wanted it done right, he’d need to do most of the dirty work himself. It annoyed him that you got away, so he was intent on finishing the job. But he had a fail-safe in place in case he ever got caught, which explains the attack by the SUV.”

  Lily blew out a breath. These revelations were shaking her down to the core. She pictured Sean’s face and tried to imagine him wanting to kill her. “This keeps getting stranger and stranger.”

  “I’m sorry, Lily. I know it’s not what you expected to hear. But I’m trying to tell you everything that I can so that you can process this information and start getting your life back.”

  “And you’re certain about all of this?” Lily asked.

  Steffie nodded her head vigorously. “Absolutely. He disclosed details only the killer could know.”

  “It seems so wrong,” Lily said softly.

  “When you’re dealing with criminals, sometimes they are unpredictable,” Steffie said. “What is vitally important is that we can close this case and put this awful chapter behind us. The families can finally receive closure knowing that he will spend his life in prison for the heinous crimes he committed.”

  Lily sat back in her chair, head spinning. So many different emotions flowed through her. Could this really be true? Could it all be over? “Honestly, I just don’t know what to say,” Lily responded.

  “It’s a lot for you to handle, I realize that,” Steffie said. “But once you start fully comprehending it all, you will feel better in the end because you can begin to heal.”

  Rex sat uncharacteristically quiet in his chair. She wondered what he was thinking, but she didn’t want to have a conversation with him about it in front of Steffie.

  “So what do we do now?” Lily asked.

  “The confession will be hitting the news today. I’m sure this is going to be a 24/7 media event. I suspect a lot of people will be surprised by the outcome. While the details haven’t been worked out, I can’t imagine we’d take this to trial. There will probably be a formal plea deal worked out now that we have the confession. I told him I would take death off the table, and I’m staying true to my word. So you won’t have to worry about testifying or anything like that.”

  “As far as you’re concerned, I’m done with all of this?”

  Steffie smiled. “Yes. And that should make you both relieved and happy. It’s okay to be happy that this is over. It’s been a terribly traumatic process for you.”

  Lily nodded, still feeling kind of cold inside.

  “If you want to take a moment in here, that’s fine. If you need anything else at all, just let me know.” Steffie stood up and walked over to Lily, shaking her hand before leaving Lily and Rex alone in the conference room.

  “Wow,” Lily said. “Talk about being thrown for a loop.” She pushed herself back from the table but remained seated.

  Rex stood up and walked around the table to take a seat beside her. “Are you all right?” he asked gently.

  “Yes, but honestly, I think I’m in a bit of shock.”

  “You’re not the only one.” He reached out and touched her shoulder. “But I guess it’s like what Steffie said, sometimes criminals go outside profiles and MOs.”

  “But why confess, Rex? Why go through all of this, start fighting the case and then do a total about-face? Nothing about any of this fits together the way it should.”

  “Maybe there is still a shred of decency left in that man and he had a guilty conscience and wanted to let it all out. I’m also sure they’re going to make him undergo psychological testing. The bottom line is that it looks as if Sean really did kill all those women, and he wanted to kill you, too.”

  That thought sent a wave of nausea over her. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  “I’m just trying to connect all the dots here. If we take everything presented as true, then you would no longer be in danger.”

  She looked directly into his eyes. “Do you have any concerns about this at all?”

  “When it comes to your safety, Lily, I am always going to be extracautious.”

  “What does that mean in practice?”

  “It means that until I’m absolutely sure there is no threat against you, I’m going to keep you safe.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know I don’t have to, Lily, but I want to. I’ll feel better knowing you’re with me. I’ve already taken the vacation time. Let’s just ride this out. I’d at least like to make sure they catch the accomplice. It would let me sleep better at night. Then we can talk about how to move forward.”

  She nodded as she sat there quietly and wondered what moving forward would even look like.

  ELEVEN

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Rex said. He looked across the kitchen table at Lily, who had just finished breakfast. In the few days since Sean had provided a full confession, there had been no threats against her of any kind. But his need to protect her had only grown stronger. Ever since he’d kissed her, he couldn’t help but want a real relationship with her. But she had been keeping a safe distance from him. The wall wouldn’t be apparent to those on the outside, but to him, it was palpable. It hurt him to have to entertain the idea that maybe she didn’t feel the same way about him as he felt about her.

  “We should talk,” Lily said.

  “Uh-oh.” He couldn’t help but smile.

  “According to Derrick, they have the identity of the hired gun. APD has a BOLO out on him. We should be realistic. There’s no way that guy is going to come anywhere near me.”

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Rex said. He could tell where Lily was going with this. She was seeking an out. Specifically, to get away from him.

  “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, Rex. Really, I do. But don’t you think it’s time for us to try to move on with our lives? Stop looking over our shoulders all
the time? I spoke with Alison and she has her guest room all ready for me.”

  “I would feel a lot better once the suspect was in custody.”

  “That may never happen, though. He could be out of the country for all we know. I can’t continue to just stay here under your watchful eye around the clock.” She paused. “And you need to get back to work. To catching serial killers. That’s your calling.”

  “I didn’t do too well on this case, did I?” She’d hit him in a sensitive spot. He still couldn’t get over the fact that he’d been completely blind to Sean’s guilt. He’s spent a lot of time with the guy, and not once had it ever occurred to Rex that Sean should’ve been on his list of suspects.

  “Rex, absolutely no one suspected that Sean was the killer. And everyone agrees this is a rare case.”

  He shook his head. “But how can I call myself an expert if I don’t catch on to the rare cases, Lily? That’s exactly what I’m supposed to be able to do. Crack the cases that no one else can.” He hadn’t planned on getting this emotional, but all of a sudden he couldn’t hold back anymore. It felt better to let it out.

  Lily reached across the table and took his hands. He felt a stirring deep inside when she touched him.

  “Rex, listen to me,” she said. “You cannot put this type of blame on yourself. The only one responsible for these crimes is Sean. Not you, not me, not anyone else. It’s on him.”

  “I don’t see it that way.”

  “All the more reason you need to move on with your life and get back to work. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve lost perspective. This case has gotten inside your head.”

  She was completely right, and one of the reasons he’d lost perspective was because of the woman who was sitting in front of him. “You’re right. Which is why I’m going to take a leave of absence from the FBI.”

  “What?” she asked loudly. “No. You can’t do that. Not because of this case.”

  He’d rarely seen her so worked up. “I’ve made my decision. So regardless of whether you leave or not, I’m not going back to the FBI right now.”

  “What will you do?”