Page 95 of To All the Men I’ve Killed Before

‘The WeHo Ripper,’ I say. Surely a private investigator would know about the theories circulating online. His face is blank though. I sigh and take Antoinette’s iPad from the counter. I slide it over to him, open on her PrivatePool page. His eyes widen and I notice a flush creep across his face when he sees the photos she’s uploaded. ‘There’s speculation on Reddit that WeHo has a serial killer who’s targeting women from this site.’

Travis takes the tablet from me and frowns at the screen. ‘You think she’s been targeted?’ he says after a moment or two, and Agnes and I nod.

‘Not just targeted,’ I say. ‘I’m pretty sure she set this account up as a trap. She wanted to try to catch the killer.’

‘But her trap was used against her,’ Travis says almost to himself, running his hand over the scruff on his jaw. ‘A classic story of cat and mouse. But the hunter becomes the hunted.’ He stares at the iPad for a few moments, deep in thought. Then he looks up at me. ‘And you haven’t called the police? Is that right? Even though you think she might have been taken by a murderer?’

I shrug helplessly.

‘Show him the messages as well,’ Agnes says. ‘The Instagram ones.’

I take the iPad back from Travis and swipe through to the DMs.

‘She’d been getting these messages,’ I say. ‘They sound like they could be from the killer.’

He holds out his hand for the iPad and I pass it back to him. He regards it for a minute, a serious look on his face.

‘Okay,’ he says. ‘Leave this with me. I’m going to see what I can find out from this.’ He stands up to leave. With the iPad.

‘Is that it?’ I say. ‘Are you going?’

‘Yes,’ he says. ‘If you’re right and she has been taken by this WeHo Ripper then we have no time to waste.’ He taps the iPad. ‘I’ll mine this for data. Sit tight. I’ll be in touch. I’ll see myself out.’

And with that he disappears out of the kitchen.

A moment later the front door slams.

Agnes stares at the space where Travis had been sitting.

‘Well, that was weird,’ she says and I nod. ‘Do you trust him?’

‘I have to,’ I say.

But the truth is, I really have no idea who to trust.

52

Kitty and Antoinette’s Airbnb, West Hollywood, Los Angeles

Agnes leaves soon after and I realise that Travis is right about one thing.

We don’t have any time to waste.

And that means I need to get rid of the men in the cellar.

It’s time to kill Aidan Ward.

Like, actually this time.

Without any interruptions.

I’m not sure what I did with the knife I had earlier. Did I put it in the dishwasher? Maybe. Anyway, I haven’t got time to think about that now. What else can I use to kill him quickly? I do a quick recce of the kitchen and my eyes land on a collection of kettlebells in the corner. Who wouldn’t want the option of a kettelbell workout while they’re away?

I select a 10kg one and take it down to the cellar.

Aidan is scrunched up in the corner now. He hasn’t eaten since I locked him down here two nights ago so he’s probably feeling very weak and faint. It won’t be a challenge to finish him off but at least it will be quick and easy.

He sits up when he hears me.