Copycat Killer (Psychic For Hire 1)

Storm slides his phone back in his pocket, wondering what the hell has gotten into her. He is going to have a serious word with her later. After he’s given himself a chance to calm down.

Back at the van, Caprio is struggling with Monroe and Remi who are trying unsuccessfully to get him to take a seat. Caprio keeps yanking himself away from the van door and throwing himself onto the ground, determined not to get inside. Even at the cost of injuring himself.

When he sees Storm approaching, Caprio bodily throws himself in the opposite direction.

“Okay, okay!” Caprio pleads. “Look, I should have told you that I flew back to London early. I came to see a girl. Why should I stay on set while Jared was out having his fun? But the girl didn’t answer my calls okay? She didn’t want to see me, so I flew back to Ireland.”

Remi smirks at Storm. “That was easy,” she mouths at him.

“I want to call my pop!” Caprio yells.

“Sure. You’ll get your phone call when we’re there,” she says.

“Now. I want to call him now!”

“That’s not how it works,” says Storm. “You can call him when you get to headquarters.”

“And then you’ll answer some questions,” says Monroe. “Like how come your fingerprints were found where they shouldn't be.”

“Of course my fingerprints are in Jared’s house. I’m his assistant!”

“Nice try,” says Storm.

“I knew you would think it was me!” Jared says. “So my fingerprints are in her bedroom. She wanted it, okay? She was always coming on to me. She couldn’t get enough.”

“So you admit you were having an affair with Lynesse Jones?” says Remi.

“So what? We’re consenting adults!”

“And the baby was yours?”

“She wouldn’t keep it. I loved her but she wouldn’t keep it.” Caprio is crying now, his face crumpling as tears pour down his cheeks. “I said we could get married, but she wanted the hot celebrity wedding with Jared and all the fame. She said she needed it.”

“Sounds like motive for murder to me,” says Storm.

“It wasn’t me!” he wails. “It was Jared. He must have found out. I bet he rigged the cameras even though we switched them off. He was so possessive. He was cheating on her, but he still wanted Lynesse all to himself. The pig! You haven’t seen how he gets when he’s angry. The guy gets off on playing a vampire hunter! He’s said he could do it for real!”

“Sure, we can talk about all of that,” says Storm. He puts one hand on Caprio’s back and his other on top of Caprio’s head, and in one swift motion he forcibly bundles him into the van and secures him with restraining seat belts.

“Wait!” shouts a voice. “What the hell is going on?” A panting Jared Everett has emerged from the embassy. He looks into the van and seems astonished to see Kris in hand cuffs.

“Why are you arresting him?” He leans around Storm so that he can look at Jared. “Was it you, you bastard? Did you kill my sweet precious Lynesse?” He looks baffled, like he can’t quite believe it.

“Your sweet precious Lynesse?” Jared scoffs. “Don’t make out like you weren't screwing anything in a skirt any chance you got. You didn’t care about Lynesse!”

Everett’s face goes red. “It really gets your goat that the women want me. How is that my fault? So what if I had a little fun? Lynesse was the one I loved! She knew it!”

“Yeah, then why was she screwing me every chance she got?” Caprio snaps, seeming to relish finally being able to throw his secret in Everett’s face. “While the others were throwing themselves at you, Lynesse was throwing herself at me!”

Everett laughs. “You? She wouldn’t give you a second glance.”

“I’ve had her,” Caprio sneers. “In your bed. In your lounge. Up against your favorite Jackson Pollock. She liked that. I had her from behind that time. She wanted to look at it while I banged her.”

Everett’s face goes puce. Something about what Caprio said makes him believe it. “You bastard!” he chokes, barely able to get the words out. “I’ll kill you!”

“You’ll have to wait,” says Storm, firmly pushing Everett back from the van. “Because your buddy here is in for a very long prison sentence.”

Chapter 23