CHAPTER ONE
A week since Ella’s previous case in Connecticut, and today was her first day back from mandatory recovery. The scars from the Novelist – as the press had taken to calling him – had since healed, but Ella hadn’t yet freed herself from the grip of Austin Creed and his cryptic words.
Austin Creed. The first serial killer Ella ever caught, and the man who was now tormenting her from his cell on death row.
Or at least that’s what she believed. Austin Creed’s version of events was much different when she met him three weeks ago, and he claimed to not even know Ella’s name.
However, someone had killed three people in Ella’s circle in as many months, and all of their deaths tied back to Creed.
Ella knew it was foolish to think a serial murderer might tell the truth, but his body language had suggested that every word out of his mouth had been genuine.
And that left her here. Because while Dever might have requested the meeting, Ella had the plan that might just unravel this whole mess.
The door swung open, and a suited gentleman slipped inside. He moved in haste, and his suit jacket flapped with his movements. ‘Agent Dark, sorry I’m late. Thank you for coming.’
‘Thank you for the invitation. You’re not late.’
Ella extended her hand. The man gripped it firmly. ‘Terrance Dever. Lead agent on the D.C. murder case. I took over it back in January.’
‘I heard. It’s good to meet you, finally.’
Dever laid a stack of files on the table and took a seat. ‘You weren’t busy this morning, were you?’
‘Paperwork never ends. I’ve just got a ton of FD-302s to get through, but I’ll put them off as long as I can.’
‘Wise. Now, the reason I wanted to meet was to ask if you could walk me through everything that happened with you and Creed, because I want to make sure we haven’t missed anything.’
Ella scrunched up her face because that felt like a waste of time. 'Agent, sorry if I misunderstood, but last time we spoke, you said that Creed mentioned me a lot in his letters to people on the outside. Shouldn’t you begin there?’
‘Well, we did, but we found something… bizarre.’
‘You’re not kidding. What’s bizarre about it?’
‘Yes, Creed mentioned you in letters, but those letters… didn’t go anywhere.’
‘Come again?’
‘It was fantasy ramblings on his part. His mail is heavily monitored. Nothing gets in or out without it going through three sets of eyeballs. Creed would write letters, even write names and addresses on envelopes. But he never sent them. They just piled up in his cell. The addresses didn’t exist, nor did they match names on his incoming mail.
It was just roleplay, and for a moment he fooled us. ’
Tension began to knot between her temples.
She’d been holding onto the hope that one of Creed’s penpals had been responsible for the murders of Julianne, Jenna and Ben, but if what Dever was saying was true, then Creed had just been toying with them, despite him lying to Ella about not knowing her name.
Dammit. Creed was playing games, and he was smarter than they – and even Ella – gave him credit for.
‘You checked every name? Every address?’
‘Yes. He would adjust his handwriting for each one, but we had a graphologist check them. They’re all written in Creed’s hand. They’re nothing more than fiction, unfortunately. We’re just wondering why he’d go to these lengths.’
Ella nearly spat. It was obvious. ‘Because he’s messing with you, and he’s got 23 hours a day to do nothing but think up ways to mess with you.
He wants you to think that's what's going on.
During the investigation, he misdirected us multiple times.
It's what he does. This whole thing is a game to him, and he gets off on outsmarting the cops.
He's going to waste as much of your time as he can. '
‘Certainly, so that’s why we need to know everything about you and Creed, because… well.’
‘Because you’ve got nothing.’
‘Not nothing.’
Ella saw beyond the excuse. The only thing worse than being up shit creek was being unable to admit it.
‘Okay, I’ll give you the short version. Back in October, I testified at Creed’s trial in Louisiana.
I gave a behavioral profile, and according to the prosecution, that profile helped secure a death sentence.
When I was there, my hairbrush and cell phone went missing. ’
Dever began making notes, even though Ella was sure he must have heard all of this already. ‘Went missing how?’
‘Disappeared. From my purse. I definitely had the hairbrush in the courtroom because I used it just before I went to the witness box. I didn’t realize I’d lost them until I’d gotten back to D.C.’
‘Okay, and then?’
‘A month later, Director Edis called me into the meeting room and said local PD were investigating two deaths. Julianne Cooper and Jenna Bradbury. Both had been stabbed and had their lips stitched shut with hair. My hair.’
‘And you were initially a suspect, yes?’
Ella nodded. The memory still hurts.
‘And you were cleared, how?’
‘What? Don’t tell me we’re going there again.’
‘No, not at all. I just need to be clear.’
‘I was in other states at the times of both murders.’
‘Good. And then the third murder – Ben Carter. What about that?’
Death was the great equalizer, but this one stung just that little bit more than the others. ‘You probably know more than me. Ben was my ex-boyfriend. We were together for nine months, and then he moved to California.’
‘You mentioned his funeral before.’
‘Yes, I attended his funeral, and someone had sent a tribute card with a picture of me and Ben on the front. I did not send that card. The card is with your team.’
‘It is. The picture on the front of the card – do you know where it originated?’
‘Ben took it with his phone.’
‘And sent it to you?’
Ella had asked herself that question, and the circumstantial evidence pointed to yes. ‘I’m not one hundred percent sure, but yes, probably.’
‘Right. And then you met Creed in person, is that right?’
‘Yes I did, and I’m sorry if that messes with your investigation, but I needed to see him.’
Dever stopped writing and closed his file. ‘Yes, it caused a few hiccups to say the least. How did you even arrange that? With the prison staff?’
‘No. Director Edis gave me a signed affidavit, and he was well within his rights to do so.’
‘Yes he was. I’m just confused as to why he gave it to you and not the team in charge of this case.’
Ella could have been honest, but figured there were certain things people didn't need to know. Edis was three weeks into retirement now, so she doubted there'd be any legal repercussions for him. But still, it didn’t feel right to tell Dever that Edis suggested she go into Creed’s cell and put a bullet in his head.
‘Because we had one chance, and he figured I’d be more useful, given my history with him. ’
‘I suppose. And yes it was our last chance, because since Creed’s legal counsel heard about your meeting, they’ve gone even heavier with the red tape.
He’s completely sealed off from contact, and only his defense lawyer has access to him now.
However, we’ve cleared out the contents of his cell, and we’re working on getting him transferred. ’
A violent shiver wracked her frame. ‘Transferred? Where?’
‘Here. D.C.’
Ella’s stomach dropped, and she was suddenly glad she skipped breakfast. ‘Here? Closer to me? Why?’
‘So we can keep a closer eye on him, and it might just help us access him a little easier.’
‘But we don’t have a death row in D.C. How would that work?’
‘Doesn’t matter. Under federal law we can still execute him despite him being somewhere without capital punishment.
When his time comes, we’ll summon the firing squad.
And the date can’t come quick enough, because we’re up to our necks in this.
’ Dever grabbed his folder and stood up, and Ella joined him in haste.
‘But agent, the person who’s doing this must have been in that courtroom the day I testified, and they would have travelled to California around the time of Ben’s murder. Can’t we-’
‘Can’t we what? Check everyone who visited Los Angeles in that period? I think you’ll find the suspect pool would be about 10 million names long. Just leave it with us, Agent Dark, and we’ll-’
‘No, I have an idea. One that could figure out who’s doing this.’
‘And that is?’
‘The footage.’
‘What footage?’
‘There were cameras around that entire court the whole week. News cameras. Every major station in America. Every single face in that courtroom will be on it somewhere. There were a few hundred people, but-’
‘The tapes,’ Dever interrupted. ‘Of course. Good thinking. I’ll make arrangements to get all of that footage.’
‘And you’ll pass the footage onto me once you’ve watched it?’
Dever was already heading for the door. ‘If possible, Miss Dark, but remember that you’re supposed to be far away from this investigation. Director Vernon doesn’t want you involved.’
‘But how do you know what you’re looking for? I’ll be able to remember faces, people who acted strangely. Then we zone in on them.’
Agent Dever stared down at his notes, and then his hand resting on the doorknob. ‘Okay. Let me track that footage down first, and then we’ll go from there. But even with that, it’ll be a long shot, so don’t get your hopes up. I’ll let you get on with your day. Thank you for your time.’
With her new friend gone, Ella basked in the silence of the meeting room.
Creed’s letters were fake, but if he’d been writing about her, then it meant he was lying to her when he’d said he didn’t know who she was.
Creed did know her – but did that mean he was orchestrating the attacks on her friends?
She didn’t know.
Don’t get your hopes up.
No. That would be foolish.