Page 45 of The Perfect Prey

Then again, if the police couldn’t secure a list of guests, then they might never be able to determine who was committing these acts.He’d been very careful to hide his face from the cameras at Channing’s building and to avoid them entirely at the Hartley’s mansion.

In fact, with his security software and design expertise, he’d been able to hack into the security systems at the victims’ residences, so he knew what to expect.And copying the access card to Evelyn Manning’s apartment had been a breeze.He’d thought well ahead.

But then he had a thought that sent a shiver through him, one that not even the coffee he was sipping could contain.While he’d been very careful to hide his identity at the homes of his victims, he hadn’t thought to do the same thing as he entered the back of the spa through the alley.

If the police had known enough to have people inside the club posing as guests, then they likely would have prepped for their undercover operation by setting up recording devices to log anyone entering the building.If that was the case, then they’d eventually have his identity.Suddenly, all those concerns about them discovering his geolocation in recent nights returned.

In that moment, he realized that he was almost certainly on borrowed time.At some point, likely sooner than later, they would realize it had been him.But that didn’t have to be the end of it.

After all, he was more than just a software developer.He was a millionaire twenty times over after selling his first company three years ago.He’d simply book a flight to a non-extradition country, pack a bag, and head to the airport.He could be gone before the clock struck midnight if he wanted to be.

And hedidwant to be.He just had to do one thing first.There was a young woman he’d been hoping to pay a visit to later tonight.But now he’d have to move faster than anticipated.It would have to happen this afternoon.

He thought it through as he sipped his drink.He knew where his next choice worked and the building she lived in, but he wasn’t sure of the exact apartment number or the details of her security setup.So he had some work to do before he followed her home after she left work.

As he plotted out a timeline in his head, he took note of four people exiting the front of the spa.There were two men and two women.One of the men, in his early forties and weathered-looking, was dressed casually.The other looked to be wearing a spa uniform, though he didn’t seem at all comfortable in it.

The women were a different story.Both were wearing dresses that would have worked at the party.Then, it occurred to him that they likelyhadbeen at the party.In fact, he thought he remembered ogling the one in the painted-on red dress.But his attention was soon diverted by the one in black, not so much because of her outfit but because of her face.He recognized her.It was Jessie Hunt, the famed criminal profiler.

No wonder they had moved so quickly on this case.With her involved, it was a surprise that he wasn’t already in custody.He was flattered that she’d considered his work important enough to take on.But it also meant he needed to move even faster than before.

If he wanted to get in one final kill before escaping for good, he had a lot of work to do and not much time to do it.The realization made him both apprehensive and a little giddy.This was all very exciting.

He waited until their town car pulled away and then left the coffee shop, focused on the task ahead of him.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

They were on their way back to the station in the town car when Jessie saw that she had a voicemail from Hannah.She turned to Susannah, who was driving.

“Can you see when Jamil will have access to the footage from the camera we posted outside the alley entrance?”she asked the detective.“I have to check this message.”

Susannah called HSS while Jessie checked the voicemail.It was a couple of hours old.

“Hey Jessie,” her sister said.“I probably should have mentioned this to you earlier, but I was in class, and then I was debating whether or not to call at all.But I need you to call me back when you get a chance.It’s not an emergency.In fact, I’m not even sure it’s worth your time at all.Just give me a call back when you’re able.”

Jessie immediately hit redial.Despite her sister’s hemming and hawing, it was clear that something was troubling Hannah, and when that happened, it was worth paying attention.Her instincts were usually right on.

“Hi,” Hannah said when she picked up.“How are you?”

“A little uncomfortable in the outfit I’m currently wearing,” Jessie admitted.“And a little nervous after hearing that message.What’s up?”

“Hold on,” Hannah said.“My thing can wait.What outfit are you wearing exactly?”

“It’s a long story,” Jessie said.“Maybe another time.You tell me your thing.”

“No way,” Hannah argued.“My thing might be nothing, but yours definitely isn’t.Tell me what’s going on with you.”

Jessie could feel her sister’s stubbornness through the phone and knew that she’d never pry anything out of her unless she talked first, so she filled her in on the basics of the case and how she’d ended up poured into a dress that she’d never normally wear.

“First of all,” Hannah said.“You have to take a selfie.My day won’t be complete until I see you in a steam room-soaked little black dress.Secondly, if this hedge fund guy isn’t your killer, do you have anyone else in mind?”

“We’re working on that,” Jessie said.“Jamil’s going to have access to the faces of everyone who entered that club pretty soon, but that only helps if we know what we’re looking for.There could be dozens of male suspects, and unless I hone my profile of this guy a little more, someone else might die before we get to him.”

“Well, maybe I can help,” Hannah offered.“What do you know about him so far?”

Jessie decided to play along.It might help to think through her ideas out loud, and Hannah was no slouch in the human behavior department.She might have some insights as an outsider that eluded the pros.

“We know that he’s a male, agile enough to climb over a residential fence, and wealthy and kinky enough to pay eleven grand a month for admission to an underground sex club.”

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