Page 17 of Line of Sight (Second Sight #4)

DO YOU know how easy it is to tail someone when they’re not expecting that? When their mind is distracted?

Really easy.

I knew from my research where Brad would be.

Yet another creature of habit. Forest Park was one of his favorite haunts.

It was my first time visiting the place, and I have to admit, its size provided a momentary obstacle.

The park comprised more than seven hundred acres, and it took me half an hour to locate him.

Which was about twenty minutes too long with that bag slung over my shoulder.

But once I had him in my sights, I kept him there as he walked around, past the zoo, the amphitheater, the aquatic gardens.

Judging by his body language, he wasn’t seeing any of his surroundings.

It didn’t take a genius to know where his head was at, and his distraction meant he was less likely to spot me.

All the better for me.

Eventually he followed one of the winding wooded trails, and I saw my chance. I waited until he was beneath the trees, with no one around, before alerting him to my presence.

“Hey.”

Brad whirled around, his eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”

“I called at your parents’ house. They said I’d find you here.” A lie, but one he wouldn’t be able to disprove.

He’d need to be breathing to do that.

Brad frowned. “I didn’t tell you where I lived.”

I rolled my eyes. “Is that really important right now?” I gave him an earnest stare. “You were right.”

He stilled. “Yeah?”

I nodded. “I need to give myself up.” I gestured to a nearby picnic table, one of a few nestled close to the trees. “Can we sit? I’m exhausted. I think the strain of all this is finally wearing me down.”

Lying always came easily to me. Years of hiding behind one mask or another made deceit second nature.

He hesitated, and my heart pounded.

I don’t have all day . In fact, my narrow window of time was shrinking all the while he stood there deciding.

I knew when he made eye contact and his shoulders loosened that he’d relented.

“Sure. But not for long. I need to get home. I’ll be driving back to campus soon.” He sat on the bench, and I walked behind him, removing the syringe from my pocket. I thrust the needle into his neck, into the artery, then covered his hand with my mouth, muffling his cry of shock and pain.

I leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“You won’t feel a thing, I promise. I’ve given the manner of your death a lot of thought.

I’ll be honest, it took me a while to come up with the perfect way to dispatch you.

But in a way, you helped me when you said you were going to tell the police.

” I smiled. The answer had been right there in front of me, thanks to Edgar Allan Poe.

“Your death won’t be like the others. Oh, didn’t I tell you that part?

How remiss of me. There will be others. Because now I’ve gotten started?

I see no reason to stop, not now I know how easy it is. The rush it brings.”

Brad probably didn’t hear that. He was out cold, maybe even dead already.

Time to remove the raincoat, scalpel, and bone saw from my bag.