Chosen by a Killer by Laurie Nave (read e book txt) 📗

the note. Julian was found dead in his townhouse a week later.

“So what did Julian do to you? What happened, and when?”

“Julian came to my father and me early in my career, offering his services. He had quite a few clients who were models, and he handled some of the legal aspects of their finances and taxes. The three of us met frequently, as my career took off rather quickly.”

Natasha nodded for Celia to continue.

“So you were present at the attorney meetings? Weren’t you underage?”

“I was, but I insisted on being present. My father has always been most concerned with himself. I didn’t want the two of them benefitting at my expense. This did not please my father, so Julian was privy to more than a few heated discussions. He probably observed the two of us more than anyone.”

“That makes sense. And he was bound by the attorney-client privilege.”

Natasha chuckled as she flicked ash on the floor. “Regarding our specific business, yes. He seemed to think that the relationship between my father and me was more of a gray area.”

“So he spoke to the press? Someone else?”

“Poor Julian had a gambling problem. He also had two ex-wives. When a magazine came asking for information about me, he was only too happy to accept their generous offer and betray me.”

“Which article was that?”

“One of those rags for celebrity-worshipers. They played up a passionate feud and dysfunctional father-daughter relationship, with hints of more. They never revealed their source, but I knew who it was. It could have only been Julian.”

“Did you confront him at the time?”

“I did. He dismissed me as dramatic and told me he was sure he wasn’t the only one who could describe my relationship with Father. He also let me know his take on attorney-client privilege and how unfortunate a messy lawsuit could be.”

“What a douche,” Celia said before she caught herself.

“Exactly. I wanted to pursue it, but my father insisted I let it go. He was always worried about anything curtailing my fame and the money.”

Celia thought about a couple of incidents in her past. “I don’t think I’d be able to let that go easily. It was an ethical breach at the very least. Not to mention bullying tactics.”

“Yes. As a model, I watched all of the editing and retouching that goes into photographs. Photography began to fascinate me.”

“Yes, I had forgotten. You are somewhat of an amateur photographer. I’ve seen some of your photos; they’re very good.”

“Thank you, yes. I learned to use editing tools as well. It took some work, but I thought the photos of Julian talking with an agent were very convincing, as was the note.”

Linguists and writing experts had examined the note closely. However, there had been no fingerprints on the paper or envelope. If detectives had not found the photos, they would never have known who wrote it.

“Were you at all concerned that the organization might target the agent as well?” Celia asked.

“I did consider that. But it’s much easier to just quietly take care of a civilian. Killing law enforcement brings attention most criminals don’t want.”

“Of course, Julian left behind a wife and two children. Did that bother you?”

Natasha straightened. “I met his wife, a tanned, bleach-blond woman with no will of her own. Do you know why Julian moved? He moved to isolate his wife, to better control her. He wouldn’t even allow her to answer questions for herself in conversation. I am sure that after the grief faded, his family felt freer than they had in years.”

Natasha’s matter-of-factness concerning her crimes still took Celia aback sometimes. However, there was an objective logic to her thinking too. Rather than seeming calculating, sometimes it almost seemed laudable. “So Julian got his due, and no one would think to connect you at all.”

“Not until I was arrested for my father’s murder and they began digging through everything, including my external hard drive.”

“So that is where they found the photos?”

“Yes. I had told my father to get rid of it, but he kept it. He probably thought it would make good blackmail, should he need it.”

This was new information, and Celia leaned forward with interest. “Blackmail?”

“My father is a selfish man, but he is also observant. And he knows me better than anyone. After I killed Roland, he became suspicious and tried to catch me in a slip of the tongue. When Julian was killed, he became even more suspicious. He went through my things while I was away for a premier. Tore the place apart. He found the drive and the photos.”

“That must have been... Were you worried about what he might do? I mean, I know he was your father, but the way you’ve described him...”

“I was not afraid of him, afraid that he would disclose what I had done. After all, he was just as culpable as I was, and just as Machiavellian. Perhaps it was his hypocrisy that killed him. I do know this.” Natasha pushed the ashtray aside and sat very straight in her chair, her gaze boring into Celia. “The writer, James Baldwin was wrong. The only thing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose is a woman who refuses to lose and who is not afraid to take someone with her if she does.”

Celia sat back in her chair, trying to give Natasha some space. “So is that why you killed your father? Because he knew? Were you afraid he wouldn’t stay quiet? Because you must know that no one would have ever caught you had you not decided to kill him.”

Natasha slowly twirled the butt of her cigarette into the ashtray and looked at the table. Silence had never been unusual during their interviews, but this silence seemed strangely thick and tense. Celia realized she was seeing one of the only glimpses of feeling anyone had likely ever observed in Natasha, and she wanted to lean forward, to watch closely. However, Natasha was so visibly uncomfortable that Celia had to look