“What did he do?”Bill asked, though he dreaded the answer.
“He systematically destroyed her relationship…and also her sense of self.Created fake social media accounts to send her boyfriend evidence of infidelity that never happened.Hacked her email to send disturbing messages to her professors.Convinced her roommate that Kelli was unstable, dangerous even.”Elizabeth’s voice remained level, but tears had begun to gather in her eyes.“By spring semester, James had broken up with her, her roommate had requested a transfer, and her academic standing was in jeopardy.”
“Did Kelli know Leo was behind it?”
Elizabeth shook her head.“No.That was the true cruelty of it.He remained her confidant, the one person she believed was still on her side.He’d come home for weekends, spend hours with her, listening to her problems—problems he had created.”
Bill’s stomach clenched at the calculated malice such behavior revealed.“How did you discover his involvement?”
“After...”Elizabeth paused, composing herself.“After we found her, I couldn’t understand why.There was no note, no explanation.I began going through her things, looking for answers.That’s when I found her laptop and accessed her email account.”
She rose again, moving toward the photograph Bill had noticed earlier.She picked it up, studied it for a moment, then brought it to him.“This was Kelli.”
The picture showed a young woman with her mother’s fine features, smiling brightly at the camera, her arms around a golden retriever.Her eyes held a gentle kindness that made the knowledge of her fate all the more painful.
“She was beautiful,” Bill said softly, handing the frame back.
“Yes, she was.”Elizabeth returned the photograph to its place.“On her laptop, I found thousands of emails—a systematic campaign of psychological torture, all from anonymous accounts.But there were patterns in the language, specific phrases I’d heard Leo use.And when I confronted him...”
“He didn’t deny it,” Bill surmised.
“Worse.He explained it.Calmly, rationally, as if discussing an interesting psychology experiment.He said Kelli was ‘too weak for this world’ and he’d merely ‘accelerated the inevitable.’“ Elizabeth’s voice finally broke.“He showed no remorse.None at all.”
Bill had encountered true psychopathy rarely in his career, but he recognized the pattern Elizabeth was describing.The combination of high intelligence, charm, and complete absence of empathy created a particularly dangerous individual.
“We told him to leave,” Elizabeth continued after regaining her composure.“Charles cut him off financially.Changed our wills, removed him from family trusts.However, he’d already received a substantial inheritance from his grandfather, so none of that affected his ability to live on his own.”
She met Bill’s gaze directly.“Agent Jeffreys, I don’t know what Leo wants with this woman and her daughter, but I urge you to take whatever measures necessary to protect them.My son is...”She paused, searching for the right words.“Leo is capable of causing immense suffering while appearing completely benign.That’s what makes him so dangerous.”
“Has he ever been physically violent, to your knowledge?”
Elizabeth considered the question.“Not directly.He prefers psychological manipulation—it’s cleaner, more satisfying to him.But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t resort to violence if it served his purpose.”
Bill nodded, processing this information and its implications for Riley and April.“Thank you for your candor, Mrs.Dillard.I know this can’t have been easy to discuss.”
“No,” she agreed quietly.“It wasn’t.But I couldn’t live with myself if I remained silent and someone else suffered because of Leo.”She stood, signaling that their conversation had reached its conclusion.“I wish I could tell you where to find him or what he might be planning, but we truly have had no contact.”
Bill rose as well.“Your insights are invaluable.If you do hear from him, or if you think of anything else that might help us understand his intentions, please call me.”He offered her his card, which she accepted with a slight nod.
As the butler appeared to escort him out, Elizabeth added, “Agent Jeffreys?Leo has always been patient, methodical.Whatever he’s planning, he’s likely been working on it for months.Please...be careful.”
The warning followed Bill through the marble entryway and out onto the street.The evening had taken on a grayish cast, clouds gathering overhead to match his darkening thoughts.
Back in his car, Bill sat motionless behind the wheel, processing everything Elizabeth Dillard had shared.Leo wasn’t merely an obsessive former student with boundary issues; he was a sophisticated psychological predator who had already driven one woman to suicide—his own sister, whom he should have protected.
And now he had set his sights on Riley and April.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Riley navigated Atlanta traffic skillfully through the approaching dusk while her mind traveled down two separate paths of concern—the murder in her professional focus, plus the shadow looming over April.
In the passenger seat, Ann Marie studied the GPS on her phone.“We should be about ten minutes from Timeless Threads Boutique.”
“What kind of name is Timeless Threads anyway?”Riley asked, grateful for the change of subject.“Sounds like a craft store, not a vintage clothing shop.”
“According to what I found online, it specializes in period costumes and movie memorabilia.The owner—Diane Kingsley—worked in Hollywood wardrobe departments before she became an actress.”
Riley’s phone buzzed, and Ann Marie reached for it.“It’s Bill,” she said, answering and putting it on speaker.“Agent Esmer here with Agent Paige.You’re on speaker, Bill.”
