Illusions of Death (22 page)

Epilogue

Logan held the journal in his hands, ready to add it to the evidence box that would be picked up by the FBI tomorrow. Rutherford insisted Logan read through it and summarize his findings. He’d also testify at the trial, but that was far down the road. He stared at the thick, leather-bound volume, wondering why Brad Patterson had become a killer.

From reading it, he gleaned that Brad’s parents were rarely around, using their money to travel while allowing others to raise their only child. He perfected his twisted art first in solitude, torturing animals and starting fires. In his teens, he graduated to new thrills, raping and killing hitchhikers he picked up, both male and female.

He murdered his parents on one of the rare occasions the couple returned home, covering the crime with a fire. He inherited their fortune in the process. He legally changed his name and with his newfound wealth pursued what Brad called his
specimens
.

He killed individuals before coming up with the idea of theme killings. He wrote how he believed children had a purer spirit than adults. That made their kill of greater value. The pain it caused their parents was an entertaining byproduct.

Brad, always a computer whiz, bragged in his writings about hacking into major metropolitan police departments. He read files and learned how not to get caught. He created a character he named Carson Miller and committed a series of kidnappings and murders involving children of public officials.

When Logan came to this section of the journal, he had to force himself to keep reading. Even what he wrote of Alex and Ashley. Brad meticulously listed every child taken, including where their remains had been discarded. The pages written by a killer would allow the parents of two of the missing children to finally have closure after all these years.

Where Brad had gotten the idea to become a detective hadn’t been recorded. With his tech skills, he easily devised a suitable background and resume that landed him a job in Walton Springs. Whether he came to the town on purpose to partner with Logan remained unclear. He enjoyed his cover of being a small town detective. It provided him a sense of security as he continued ramping up his kills. He was ready to allow “Carson Miller” to claim ownership of the Rainbow Killings when the nickname Roy G. Biv came to light. He ran with it.

Logan sealed the book in a bag and made a note regarding the chain of evidence before he placed it in the cardboard box and set it on the round table in the corner of his office. He turned out the lights and locked the door, ready to leave the ugliness behind.

As he exited the station, he saw Karlyn perched on the hood of his car. A slight breeze blew her blond hair back from her face. He went to her and enfolded her in his arms. Warmth. Safety. Love.

He gave his wife of three days a long kiss, deep and satisfying, relishing the life they would create together. He looked down at her. “You know, I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

She beamed at him. “You are now.”

Logan frowned. “Why now?”

Karlyn grinned. “Not only do you have me. And a wonderful old house. A terrific job. Fabulous friends and family.”

“And a fantastic dog,” he added to her list.

“That, too. But,” she paused and bit her bottom lip. “You also have—
we
have—a baby on the way. I’m pregnant. We’re going to be parents.”

A weight he hadn’t realized that was pinning him lifted, floating away like a feather on the wind. He would be a father again. With the woman who’d brought him more joy and happiness than anyone deserved in a lifetime.

Logan kissed the mother of his child-to-be and dreamed of what the future might hold.

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A BIT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH

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BALLAD BEAUTY

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MUSIC FOR MY SOUL

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OUTLAW MUSE

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A GAME OF CHANCE

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LEAVE YESTERDAY BEHIND

Callie Chennault vaulted to fame on the nighttime soap Sumner Falls, but after a decade of playing the same role, she is ready for a new acting challenge. When Callie is attacked by a stalker on the streets of New York, she takes a leave of absence from the show and returns to her roots in Aurora, Louisiana, to heal both physically and emotionally and determine her next career move.

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