Picture Perfect Murder. Rachel Dylan

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      “We’re here for you if you need us,” Jackson said.

      “Jackson’s right, Lily. Whatever you need,” Guy added.

      She followed them to the door and gave them both hugs. She was fortunate to have them in her life right now.

      Grace barked and Lily leaned down and gave her some rubs. “I know, girl. There’s a lot going on around here right now. But everything’s going to be okay.”

      “Come on into the kitchen.” She motioned for Rex to take a seat at the kitchen table. “Would you like something to drink? I could make coffee.”

      “To be honest, coffee sounds amazing right now. I can’t see sleep in my future anytime soon.”

      She took the coffee out of the cabinet and put on a pot before sitting down across from him. “I’ve been thinking about the farmhouse photo.”

      “What about it?”

      “I wasn’t alone the day I went out there. Alison came with me.”

      “What else do you remember about that day? Anything at all, even if it seems like a minute detail, could be important.”

      Her head started to pound and the coffee couldn’t brew fast enough. “Just that Alison tagged along. We thought it would be fun and we actually brought Grace, too, and made an afternoon of it. After we got done there, Alison went home so she could get ready for a client meeting and Grace and I went to the dog park.”

      “Do you remember talking to anyone at the dog park? Or did you notice anyone on the periphery, watching you play with Grace?” Rex asked, his brows drawn together.

      Racking her brain for useful details but coming up empty, she sighed. “No. Nothing stands out in my memory.”

      “A killer fitting this profile would like to terrorize. He’s probably been watching you for a while. He has to handpick his victims and make sure they fit his list of characteristics.”

      Lily reached down for Grace, who licked her hand. “We’ve got to stop this guy. I don’t like being attacked in my own home.”

      “If only it were that simple.”

      She stood up and got two large mugs out of the cabinet. “How do you like your coffee?”

      “Just sugar, if you have it.”

      She poured them both a cup and put his in front of him along with the sugar and a spoon. She drank hers black. “We have to outmaneuver him. Figure out what his next move would be. Isn’t that what guys like you at the FBI do?”

      “It is, but like I said, we only have so much to work with. We’ve got video surveillance set up here now, but he has to know that. He probably won’t be so bold as to come back to your house. He knows we’re watching.”

      She took a big sip of coffee, letting the warmth flow through her. “You’re giving him a lot of credit.”

      “Serial killers are often highly intelligent. Never underestimate the enemy, Lily. I know this is a totally different world for you.”

      Actually, he had no idea who she really was or what she was capable of. But her CIA past had nothing to do with the serial killer, and thinking about it brought her down. It was a dark hole that threatened to consume her if she let it. It was better to face this issue as Lily Parker, photographer, rather than Lily Parker, CIA operative. “I’m not underestimating, but I think we have to try to get out ahead of him.”

      He crossed his arms. “I’m sorry, but I just have to say something.”

      “All right.” She eyed him warily.

      “Something is off with you.”

      She raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me? Maybe it’s the fact that I was attacked in my home and then someone threw a brick through my window.”

      “But that’s just it. You’ve been through some terribly traumatic events, but you don’t act like how I would think someone in your position should act under the circumstances.”

      She laughed. “And how exactly is that? What am I doing wrong?”

      “It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong, but like I said before, you’re holding back on me. The guns, the strategies, your reaction. You need to tell me what it is that I don’t know. Because even if you think it has nothing to do with the attacks, you could be wrong.”

      “Believe me, I’m not withholding anything from you that could be helpful for the investigation.”

      “Which means you are withholding something.”

      “Don’t we all have secrets in our past?”

      He didn’t respond immediately. “Yes, but some secrets are much more dangerous than others. I did a little digging on you. You haven’t lived in Atlanta your whole life.”

      “No. I went away for college and then worked a few years in Virginia before coming back home. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

      “And what kind of work did you do after you graduated college?”

      It was time to try to deflect. “What does this have to do with the case?”

      “It’s not meant to be a trick question.”

      “I didn’t say it was.”

      He frowned. “But you still haven’t answered the question.”

      This guy was FBI. If he put in the right calls and pulled a few strings her past would be revealed. When she’d been working for the CIA, her cover was as a state department employee. Even if that was all he found out, he’d have questions about any government work she may have done. If he was persistent enough, he’d discover the truth one way or the other. The question was whether she wanted him to hear it from her or get the Agency’s version of events.

      He didn’t break eye contact with her. “Because what if there’s a missing piece of your past that somehow relates to the killer or potential future victims?”

      “It’s just not so cut-and-dried.”

      He leaned forward in his seat. “Lily, if you were doing something that might not have been on the proper side of the law, then it’s even more important that you come clean. I’m not asking any of these questions to get you in trouble. I’m only trying to protect you and other potential targets out there.”

      She fought to keep any reaction from her face. “It’s not illegal. I can promise you that.”

      “Well, if it’s not illegal, then why can’t you just tell me so we can move forward?” He took a breath. “Is it a profession that you’re embarrassed of?”

      She hesitated for a moment, and he latched on to it, mistakenly thinking that he’d stumbled onto something.

      “Believe me, Lily, there’s no shame in working odd jobs to make ends meet after college.”

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