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“I’ve seen a lot of crime scenes. Trust me, if Subject B had been hallucinating there would have been more chaos. Multiple stab wounds. Instead, there was only one on each victim. The killer worked fast and knew how to slice open a throat. Neither target had a chance to fight back or run.”
“What are you saying?” Talia asked.
He got to his feet and reached for his pants. “I think Subject B had a lot of experience with killing before becoming a psychically enhanced assassin.”
“You’re going to try to identify Subject B.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Okay,” she said. “But I can tell you right now that we’ll never persuade the police to arrest a criminal who uses paranormal energy to commit murder.The Lost Night Filestried that on one of our first cold cases. It didn’t go well.”
“So I will set up a scenario that will force the assassin to resort to a lethal weapon.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Talia said, resigned. “But first we have to identify the killer. At least we have the advantage of a relatively short list of suspects. We know the killer was on Night Island, because two people died by paranormal means there. Nathan Gill?”
“I think he’s in the body-dumping business, but I don’t see him asthe assassin. He was trying to create one, not become one. Finch told us the serum is very risky. If Gill wants to acquire a lethal talent he’ll wait until he knows the drug is safe.”
“We know Clive Venner wasn’t the killer, because he was a victim,” Talia said. “I hope you’re not thinking Chef Octavia is a murderer.”
“I considered it,” Luke said. “But she feared Gill. She would have gotten rid of him if she had the ability to do so. Instead, she went into hiding.”
“Right,” Talia said, relieved.
“It’s one of the guests.” Luke headed for the bedroom door. “Has to be. Let’s take a look at that bookings file we picked up in Octavia’s office.”
Talia scrambled out of bed and grabbed her robe. “I knew the file was important but I didn’t know why. Even if we get a name, how do we draw the killer out into the open?”
“That’s the easy part. The killer will be obsessed with me now, watching and waiting for an opportunity to get rid of me.”
“Because you’re potential competition?”
He moved out into the hall and paused in the doorway, one hand on the frame. “No, because the mission was to assassinate me. As long as I’m alive I’m proof that the killer is a failure.”
“I see what you mean. Psychology 101. You said drawing the assassin out into the open is the easy part. What’s the hard part?”
“I need to figure out how to force a killer with paranormal talent to resort to using a regular weapon. And we’ll want to get it all on film, of course.”
“That won’t be a problem. These days, there are cameras everywhere.” Talia paused. “Except on Night Island.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Rand should havebeen dead by now.
The following night the assassin stood in the shadows of the parking garage and watched the door of the elevator lobby. Subject A was a fuckingfailure. Yet in spite of a severe reaction to the enhancement drug he had somehow managed to escape the lab, fake his own death, and disappear for three months. He had survived the first attempt to terminate him a few nights ago here in Seattle. He had even managed to find Night Island, rescue the Hatch woman, and escape a second time.
Rand had been lucky, but tonight his luck would run out.
The elevator doors opened. Rand walked out, a duffel bag in one hand. There was a day pack slung over his shoulder. He was dressed for leaving town, planning to disappear again.
Too late, Rand.
The assassin waited until the target was about fifteen feet away, close enough to be sure of a sharp focus, before moving out of the shadows. Time to make the kill.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Luke stopped. “JasperDraper. Right on schedule. Figured you’d show up tonight.”
Jasper’s mouth fell open. He recovered quickly. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
