Chapter 20
Detective Luke Larson
“Larson,” Captain Williams walked over to where I stood in Bart Rexley’s office.
“Yeah, Captain?”
“Detective Luke Larson, this is FBI Agents Cody Smith and Larissa Caine. We’ll be working with them on The Last Chapter Killer Case.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I shook their hands.
“We’ve been hunting his guy for a long time,” Agent Caine said.
“I’m just going to be blunt here,” I said. “How have you guys not caught him yet?”
“How haven’t you?” Agent Smith’s brow raised.
“This guy is meticulous,” Agent Caine said. “He leaves nothing behind, and he’s careful. He studies the area before he takes his next victim, looking for cameras or anything that could identify him. He’s smart.”
“Meet our latest victim,” I said. “Bartholemew Rexley. Age 40. It’s the usual MO. Strangled first, carved, and then carefully staged. We were able to unlock his phone, and according to a couple of text messages, he was supposed to meet Celia Meadows last night around nine o’clock.”
“Who is Celia Meadows and why?” Agent Smith asked.
“Celia Meadows owns Meadows Design. She’s an interior designer.”
“Why were they meeting?” Agent Caine asked.
“I don’t know. She texted him, told him she needed to speak with him, and asked him to come over. Guess he never made it. I’m heading to her office to question her.”
“Any video footage of what went on here last night?”
“No cameras,” I said.
“That’s odd,” Agent Caine said.
“My theory is Mr. Rexley and Ms. Meadows were having an affair,” I said.
“The Last Chapter Killer only kills young women. These last couple of murders don’t make sense,” Agent Smith said.
“That’s because I don’t think this was the work of The Last Chapter Killer.
I think it’s someone else wanting us to think that.
I have a friend who is a detective with the NYPD Homicide Division.
She was working on a case where cheating married men were being murdered in New York City.
It was always the same MO. Twenty-two stab wounds and left for dead. ”
“But this guy wasn’t stabbed twenty-two times,” Agent Smith said.
“No. But the first male victim we found was. I believe the killer got scared, and when he or she found out about The Last Chapter Killer, he or she used it to their advantage.”
“So you’re saying there are two serial killers running around Key West?” Agent Caine asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I left the crime scene and drove to Meadow Designs.
“Detective Luke Larson.” I flashed my badge. “I’m looking for Celia Meadows.”
“Follow me.” The receptionist lowered her head as she stood from her seat. “Celia, Detective Larson is here to speak with you.”
I stepped into her office and quietly shut the door behind me. Celia sat behind her desk, her eyes red and swollen, surrounded by a mountain of crumpled tissues.
“Ms. Meadows, I need to ask you some questions about Bart Rexley.”
She slowly nodded. “How can I help you, detective?”
“Did you know the victim?”
“Yes,” she cried. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
“You sent him a text yesterday telling him you needed to talk and invited him over to your place around nine o’clock. What was the reason for that?”
“Huh?” She cocked her head. “I never texted him that yesterday.”
“Ms. Meadows, we unlocked his phone and saw the messages. Were the two of you having an affair?”
“Yes, we were.” She picked up her phone and typed in her passcode. “These are the text messages from yesterday.” She handed me her phone.
I studied them, and no text like the one we found on Bart’s phone existed.
“See. I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Has anyone had access to your phone recently?” I asked.
“No.” She shook her head.
“Are you sure?”
“Detective, nobody touches my phone but me. It’s always on me. I never leave it anywhere. I don’t understand what you’re implying.”
“I believe someone cloned your phone and then sent that text to Bart. How about your clients? Anyone new in the last few days? Anyone who seemed out of the ordinary? I really need you to think, Ms. Meadows.”
“No. Not that I can think of. The only new client I scheduled an appointment for was a few days ago. A woman. She was shopping down the street and walked in. She told me she had just moved here, and she and her husband wanted to redo her entire house.”
“I’ll need her address.”
“Randi,” she shouted.
“Yes, Celia?” She walked into the office.
“I need you to get Scarlett Tisdale’s address and give it to Detective Larson.”
“She didn’t leave her address?”
“What?” Celia’s brows furrowed.
“After she left your office, she just walked out. I thought you got her address when you scheduled the appointment.”
“No. I got a call from a client I needed to take. I specifically told her to stop at your desk and give you her address.”
“What did this woman look like?” I asked.
“She was about five feet seven. She had auburn bob-style hair and green eyes.”
“Age?” I asked.
“I’d say early thirties.”
“Do you have cameras in this place?” I asked.
“Only outside.”
“I need to see the footage from the day this Scarlett Tisdale was here.”
“Of course.” She typed away at her computer and then turned the screen toward me. “That’s her.” She pointed at the screen.
“She made sure the cameras couldn’t pick up her face,” I said.
“Thank you, Ms. Meadows. I appreciate your time. And I’m sorry for your loss.”
“They were getting divorced,” she said.
“Who?”
“Bart and his wife. It was getting messy. Bart was trying to get full custody of his son, and Nadine was livid.”
“So she knew about your affair?”
“Yeah. She found out.” Celia lowered her head. “She tried to kick Bart out, but he refused to leave. I tried to reason with him and told him to just move in with me for the time being until things got settled, but he wouldn’t.”
“Okay. Thank you again. If I have any more questions, I’ll give you a call.” I walked out of her office.
I drove back to the station.
“Vinnie, I need you to pull up everything you can on a woman named Scarlett Tisdale.”
“On it, Luke.”
I walked into the captain’s office. “We’re looking for a female, early thirties, five feet seven, with a bob-styled auburn hair and green eyes. She goes by the name Scarlett Tisdale.”
“Do you have a picture?” he asked.
“No. She met with Celia Meadows a few days ago. I believe she cloned her phone. She set up an appointment with her to come to her home but left without ever giving her the address. She knew there were cameras in the parking lot and purposely hid her face. I have Vinnie digging up whatever he can find on her.”
“Luke.” Vinnie stepped into the office. “There are two Scarlett Tisdales. One is fourteen years old and lives in Ohio. And the other is forty-five and works at a strip club in Vegas.”
“Jesus Christ.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “She gave a fake name.”