Picture Perfect Murder

by Rachel Dylan

  Unlike with the other victims, the killer was trying to interact with Lily. Develop some sort of rapport with her. Yet his intention was also to intimidate her, as evidenced by the fact that he’d attacked her twice in her own home, the place she should have felt the safest. But Rex feared that when the murderer tired of that approach, his intentions toward Lily would turn deadly in a much more direct fashion. And there was absolutely no way of knowing how long he would toy with her before taking things to the next level.

  Also, there was the CIA wildcard. He’d quickly called in FBI agents who held top-secret security clearances, and they’d worked with the CIA to cross-reference the names and identities of operatives Lily had worked with. While Rex didn’t have the security clearance to view the names, he’d gotten the bottom-line results. There were no linkages at all between anyone that Lily worked with at the Agency and any of the other victims or their contacts. It appeared that Lily was correct in her assessment that this killer had nothing to do with her time at the CIA.

  He tapped away on his keyboard, recording all of his thoughts. Grace had been keeping him company, lying at his feet. He enjoyed the canine companionship. It also made him realize how lonely he probably was, although he’d never admit that to anyone. He could barely admit it to himself. It was easier to live in denial. To keep his guard up and his limited emotions in check.

  Then, as he was pondering what file to review next, the room suddenly turned dark. Without hesitation, he jumped to his feet and made his way to the living room. He had a penlight that he always kept on him and he shone it to light his way. “Lily, are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m totally fine,” she said. “Maybe it’s just a power outage.”

  He knew better than to assume that. “You don’t believe that any more than I do.”

  “You’re right,” she said.”

  “I need to check things out.”

  “I have my downstairs gun in the kitchen.”

  “Let me grab it for you.” He jogged back into the kitchen and opened the drawer that he knew contained one of her guns. Then he walked back into the living room.

  “Stay put here.” He handed her the gun. “Just please don’t shoot me by accident.”

  “Roger that,” she said. “Go.”

  Grace started barking and Rex scoped out the rest of the first floor. He felt confident there was no one inside. He was far less confident about what was going on outside.

  He circled back around to the living room. “Lily, has anything happened here?”

  “Nothing here. We’re fine.”

  A loud crashing noise came from the back porch. “I’ll be back. I need to see what’s happening out there. Call Grace and keep her with you in the living room.”

  Lily did as she was told. He could hear the dog moving through the room.

  “Do you have her?”

  “Yes. We’re okay, and I’m not letting her go.”

  “Okay. Stay alert. I’m calling in backup, but I can’t wait. I need to check this out now to determine if I need to move you or if it’s safer to stay here.” He couldn’t have anything happening to either of them. Lily might be a trained CIA operative, but he wasn’t taking any chances. After quickly putting in the call for backup, he took deliberate steps toward the back porch, where he heard more noises.

  He used his penlight to illuminate the porch. But it wasn’t a broad enough beam to show him much more than what was directly in front of him. Another crashing noise sounded.

  Slowly unlocking the door, he stepped out onto the porch. That was when he noticed the streetlights and the lights that were on in other houses. Someone had intentionally cut Lily’s power. Quickly, he surveyed his surroundings. A potted plant in a ceramic container lay splattered on the porch along with two overturned chairs.

  He prayed for guidance as he made a split-second decision. It was more important for him to go back inside and guard Lily. This could be a diversion attempt. Or worse.

  Rex took a step back toward the door just as he felt the bullet slice through his left arm. Caught off guard and trying to avoid a second hit, he stumbled forward, fighting to stay upright, but then fell and hit his head hard on the edge of patio table. His world went dark.

  FIVE

  Lily heard the gunshot and then a loud thud from the porch as Grace barked even more loudly. Yeah, Rex had told her to stay put, but she wasn’t just going to be huddled up on the couch like a sitting duck. Something was going down on the back porch, and she had no doubt that she could help Rex if he needed it.

  But while she may be cavalier about herself, Grace was another matter. Not wasting another moment, she led Grace down to the guest room where Rex was staying and closed her in there. Then she quickly made her way to the porch. Even in the dark, she knew her way around her own home very well.

  It was actually lighter outside than inside because of the moonlight. She tried to open the porch door but was met with some resistance. She pushed on the door once again, and that was when she saw him.

  Rex was on the ground, his body partially blocking the door. Her heart pounding, she nudged him. He wasn’t responsive. She didn’t want to move him without knowing how badly he was injured, but she had no choice. So she pushed open the door to be able to get out, which shifted his body slightly on the ground.

  Once outside, she crouched down beside him, checking for a pulse, and felt liquid on her hands. Blood!

  Had he been shot? And where? She’d wrongly assumed that he had been the one firing his weapon. This changed everything.

  She tried desperately to determine where the bleeding was coming from, but in the moonlight she could only do so much. She wasn’t concerned for her own safety, but she was worried about the shooter still being out there and getting another shot off that would hit Rex.

  She caught herself almost praying for Rex but realized that wouldn’t do a bit of good. Not coming from her.

  Instead, she focused on what she could do as she tried her best to stabilize Rex in his unknown condition. Even though she was very strong for her size, she didn’t know if she was strong enough to move an unconscious man who was over six feet tall and weighed two hundred plus.

  But aware that they were possibly still in danger, she had to do what she could to get him to safety. She pushed the door all the way open and then, using all of her strength, attempted to drag a totally unresponsive Rex through the doorway. After a minute, she had to stop to take a few deep breaths.

  Sweat started to form on her brow and trickled down her back. This man was even heavier than he looked and made of solid muscle. But that obstacle didn’t deter her from pulling his body toward door to try to protect the both of them from the shooter.

  This killer hadn’t just gone after her, but now he was going after the man trying his best to protect her. Seething with anger, she was even more determined to find him and put an end to his madness.

  When she heard the sirens approaching, she let out a sigh of relief just as the lights flickered back on. With the benefit of the back porch light she could now clearly see that Rex had been shot in the arm. And he had a large red spot on the side of his temple.

  She looked and saw Officer Sean Bishop running up the porch steps from the backyard. She sure could’ve used his help five minutes ago.

  “Lily, are you all right?” Sean’s eyes were wide with concern.

  “I’m fine, but Rex isn’t. Where did you come from?”

  “I wasn’t far away when the emergency call came in from Rex. When I got here there was no answer at the front door, so I came to the backyard to check things out. Additional backup is only a minute or two out.”

  “Good,” she said, still trying to catch her breath.

  “What happened here?” Sean asked. He knelt down beside Rex.

  “We were in
the house when the lights went out. Rex went outside to check on things because we heard loud crashing sounds. Then, after a minute, I heard gunshots from the porch, and I was worried something had happened to Rex. That’s when I found him bleeding by the back door.” She looked around at the porch. It was a mess, with overturned chairs and broken potted plants. The killer had purposely tried to make a racket to draw Rex out of the house. It was a solid plan, and if he’d been a better shot, Rex would probably be dead right now.

  “Sounds as if it could’ve been a whole lot worse,” Sean said. “And you’re sure that you’re all right?”

  “Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

  Within minutes, her house was swarming with APD officers.

  She looked on with great interest as the EMT started to provide care to Rex.

  “What do you know about his injuries, ma’am?” the EMT asked her.

  “I think he was shot and also suffered some type of head injury. I moved him to try to get us both out of the line of fire.”

  “Understood,” the paramedic said as he quickly went to work.

  Lily stood silent for a moment as she watched the man work on Rex. Her pulse raced as she waited to hear how Rex was doing.

  “The gunshot wound is actually not that bad,” the EMT said. “He’s probably unconscious from falling after being shot. Looks like he knocked his head pretty good, given the color and swelling. The gunshot wound is largely superficial and that is what’s most important.”

  “That’s good news,” Sean said.

  Lily was so glad that Rex was going to be okay. Derrick showed up and she recounted the entire story to him.

  “How in the world did you move him, Lily?” Derrick asked with wide blue eyes.

  “I’m stronger than I look.” She couldn’t help but smile. Nothing wrong with a little levity to break the tension.

  “Yes, she is,” Rex said.

  She looked over and Rex’s eyes were open. They had him laid up on a gurney and were ready to transport him to the hospital in the ambulance. A flood of relief surged through her to see that he had regained consciousness.

  “Rex, what happened out here?” She rushed to his side and Derrick was right behind her. “I heard the gunshot, but I didn’t realize it was you getting shot until I saw you on the ground, covered in blood.”

  “Yeah. So I came outside to determine what was going on, and that’s when I saw the mess. All the chairs and pots overturned.” He grimaced in pain. “I realized that you were vulnerable to attack, that I needed return to you. If I wouldn’t have stepped backward to go inside it would’ve probably been a direct hit. But I stumbled and fell and hit my head. Then I blacked out. That’s all I remember.”

  Derrick took a step toward him. “Well, now you’re going to the hospital.”

  “No way. I’m perfectly fine,” Rex said. “I just need to be bandaged up and I’m good to go.”

  “There’s no point in arguing about this,” Derrick said. “You’re getting checked out. We can’t risk you having a concussion and passing out later.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Lily said to Rex. “I know you’re worried about me, but we need to get you patched up and confirm that your injuries aren’t serious.”

  “See, that’s a plan. I’ll bring Lily with me to the hospital,” Derrick said. “We’ll meet you there. Then we can determine next steps based on the prognosis from the doctor. This isn’t the time to try to play hero. There’s too much on the line here.”

  “Well, I don’t like it, I think I’m fine. But I understand why you’re making me go.”

  “Good,” Lily said. “We’ll meet you there.” She watched as he was wheeled into the ambulance. They were fortunate. The outcome could’ve been much worse. The killer was proving that he had no intention of letting up. She feared next time he might actually succeed.

  * * *

  Rex couldn’t believe he’d been shot. Even more troubling was how close he’d come to a direct hit, and that would’ve left Lily completely at the mercy of the killer. He’d been discharged from the hospital after a couple of hours and had gone back to Lily’s place. There was no way he was leaving her with anyone else.

  An APD officer had been stationed outside overnight to provide an additional layer of security. Now, after breakfast, he was looking into Lily’s serious blue eyes as she sat on the living room couch.

  “We need to talk,” Rex said.

  “What do you think about what happened last night? I’m getting to know how your mind works. You’ve already got a full-blown theory, don’t you?”

  He gave her a slight smile. They were discovering more and more about each other every day. “I think the killer was trying to take me out as a way to get to you directly. He’s getting antsy playing his own game, and he won’t rest until he finishes the job he started.”

  “That’s highly troubling,” she said softly.

  He felt he had to put it all out there even if it was disturbing. “I realize that. I’m not saying it to try to unduly scare you, but I think the theory has merit.” He paused. “Although I think I’ve figured out that it probably takes a lot to actually scare you.”

  “You’re right about that, but there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you about. Do you think my friends are in any danger?”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s safe for them to be spending too much time around you. The killer is watching. And while you’re the primary target, we don’t want them getting caught in the crosshairs.”

  She patted Grace, who was lying beside her. “Speaking of him watching, what happened with the FBI video surveillance of my house that you had set up?”

  “I just got an email on that issue this morning from our FBI techs.”

  “Uh-oh. This isn’t going to be good, is it?”

  He shook his head. “No. In addition to being a cold-blooded killer, our guy is apparently great with technology. He was able to disable the video surveillance and turn the power off remotely.”

  “Is there a way we can outsmart him on the tech side?”

  “We’ve got good people, too, but the consensus is that he’ll be able to get around our systems if he sets his mind to it.”

  She let out a loud sigh. “This is crazy.”

  He reached out and put his hand on top of hers. “Don’t get discouraged. Someone this bold is bound to slip up.”

  “Hopefully he’ll make a big mistake before he kills another innocent woman.”

  “You’re right. I’m praying that we catch him quickly.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Rex. I hate to break it to you, but I don’t know if prayer is really going to help. We should probably stick to tried-and-true investigation techniques.”

  Pain and skepticism were etched on her face. “Do you really mean that? You think prayer is worthless under these circumstances?”

  “Sorry.” She removed her hand from under his. “I shouldn’t have insulted your faith. We need all the help we can get, but it just won’t come from me trying to pray. I can promise you that much. God isn’t in the business of answering my prayers.”

  “Anything you want to talk about?” He knew there was something more going on with her stance on faith. People didn’t make comments like that for no reason.

  She averted her eyes. “Not really.” Her phone chirped and she picked it up from the coffee table. She didn’t speak, but he watched her facial expression change as she pursed her lips.

  “It’s him,” she said. “He sent me another text. It’s from a different account but it’s our guy.”

  “What does it say?”

  She looked down at her phone and then back up and then back down again. “‘Next time I won’t miss.’” She handed the phone to him so he could read it for himself.

  He nodde
d. “Just as I suspected. His fixation is growing stronger and stronger with each passing day and he won’t be satisfied until he accomplishes his ultimate goal.”

  “We have to make sure that he never reaches that goal. We also need to stop him before he kills other women on his list.”

  “Agreed, but you know that’s much easier said than done.”

  The phone chirped again. “Oh, no,” she said. “What is it now?”

  Since he still had her phone in his hand, he opened the second text message. Well, that was strange. He wouldn’t have expected this twist. “It’s a picture of you.”

  She took the phone back from him and examined the picture. “This is a picture of when I was leaving the hospital. See the background? You can see the hospital.”

  “Yes. He sent you this picture because he wants you to know that you’re still a target. I’d like to consult with one of our other serial killer experts at the Bureau to see if they can provide any more insight on how this guy’s deadly plan may continue to unfold. I think we could benefit from having the expertise of someone who has dealt with serial killers longer than I have and who might have had a similar situation in the past. Meanwhile, we need to figure out what we’re going to do about your security in the short term. I’d like to beef up the detail on the perimeter of the house.”

  “I think that would be prudent. Also, what about my friends? I know Alison and Jackson were going to come over today to visit.”

  He admired the fact that she was so protective of her friends. “I think it’s fine today, but we need to talk to them about the risks involved with them being around you and probably suggest they lie low for a bit.”

  “The absolute last thing I want to do is put any of my friends in danger. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to them.”

  He reached out and touched her arm. “I know that. We’ll get through this, Lily. I promise you that.”

  “Are you sure you should be making promises you don’t know you can keep?”

  “I intend to keep that promise.”