Xo (Kathryn Dance 3)

However he thought best.

However extreme the solution.

The Keyholders knew that whatever the mission, Simesky would create an effective and careful plan, so it was obvious that the death of this muckraking liberal journalist had to be an accident, or of that environment activist was a suicide, or of that reformer congressman was an assassination spawned by a stalker's love for a famous singer.

And those clever plans often involved a fall guy.

Hello, Edwin.

Using the stalker came to mind last winter after he and Myra Babbage--his business partner and occasional lover--had infiltrated Davis's ranks. Doing his typically exhaustive research, Peter Simesky had learned that Davis was a huge fan of Kayleigh Towne. The congressman had used the bitch's pro-immigration song "Leaving Home" at rallies and in campaign ads.

Simesky reviewed Kayleigh's websites and learned of a fanatical fan named Edwin Sharp, who posted hundreds of comments about the singer and was described by other fans as a "weirdo."

Perfect.

The Keyholders had quite some significant resources and it took only a day to get into the Internet service providers handling Kayleigh Towne's and Edwin's email accounts. Unfortunately there didn't seem to be anything particularly threatening about Edwin's letters and posts. But he was clearly unhinged and troublingly persistent and that would be enough for Simesky's plan. He and Myra sent Edwin emails and letters posing as Kayleigh, reporting that she was flattered by his attention and even suggesting that she'd like to get together with him. But she had to be careful, put on a facade of indifference, or her father would cause terrible problems.

Delete all the emails, burn my letters. You have to, Edwin. I'm totally afraid of my father!

The notes suggested that, whatever she said in public, she'd enjoy seeing him at the concert on Friday. If possible she'd see him later too. In private.

Edwin, I was thinking about you last night. You know girls have those kinds of thoughts too....

Myra Babbage had come up with those lines.

And Edwin had done just what they'd wanted, descended on Fresno in all his psychotic glory, far more of a nut job than they'd hoped.

He and Myra Babbage had conducted surveillance at Edwin's rental in Fresno to learn his routine and steal some evidence that could be planted at the site of Davis's assassination to implicate the stalker. Then, today, it was time to act. Myra had called Edwin, pretending to work for Kayleigh. She explained the singer had decided she wanted to see him but they had to be very careful. He should go to the Fashion Fair shopping mall and lose the police, then wait at Macy's loading dock.

Myra had cruised past and waved. The poor fool had jumped into the stolen SUV, grinning in anticipation. When he turned to put his seat belt on she'd hit him with the stun gun, injected a sedative and taped him up. She'd then gone into the mall and uploaded the announcement from Java Hut that someone was about to do something that would make Kayleigh remember him forever. The context made clear that Bill Davis was to be the victim.

And now, Myra and a barely conscious Edwin Sharp were en route to the safe house.

In a few minutes the plan would be completed: Myra would arrive, smile at the security man, Tim Raymond, and then blow him away with her pistol. At the same time Simesky would step into the living room and shoot the congressman and the others. Then he and Myra would drag Edwin into the room, shoot him in the head with Ha

rutyun's gun and dust the stalker's hand with gunshot residue.

Simesky would make a panicked call begging for help and an ambulance, explaining that he'd gotten the gun away from the stalker and shot the psycho himself.

Plan your acts and act your plans ...

But sometimes there were variations.

Kathryn Dance.

Her appearance could help smooth over one matter he'd been worried about--that there might be some suspicion if only he and Myra were left alive. If Dance survived too the scene would seem a bit more legitimate. Though he'd have to orchestrate it so that, of course, she couldn't see him as the shooter.

Simesky would shoot Dance in the back, paralyzing but not killing her, then he'd murder Davis and Harutyun. After they were dead, Simesky would call out something like, "Edwin, no! What are you doing?"

Ideally Dance would be conscious and she'd hear his cry. She'd later report the story to the police, confirming that Edwin was the sole shooter. If not, and she died, well, no huge loss.

After all, Simesky thought angrily, you could've gone out to dinner with me, bitch. What would it've hurt?

Chapter 58

SIMESKY GLANCED AT his Rolex.

Three minutes to go.