The Plan

Chapter 16

Spring of 2003

She hated high school among other things, but she endured the egotistic surrounding and she bear the narcissistic behaviors. But one thing she learned from the experience—aside from the wonders of knowledge and learning—was sex. It made her feel human even if she did it with someone she barely knew.

She’s not a whore—she just did it because it’s one of the things that kepther connected to people. But what she really liked most about it was that she couldpractice her power over the male specie. She found that sex was their weakness.

Along with the term papers, home works, part time jobs and occasional sex, she’s busy with research of her own.

Research, she realized, was one powerful component in formulating the perfect plan.

 

March 31, 2011 (7:00am)

The ever punctual secretary found the body the next day and notified the police at once.

“She’s on a roll,” Tanaka said, shaking her head as the crime scene investigation team worked around taking pictures of the body and busily brushing every inch of the office for prints. “They won’t get anything. She’s too keen in doing her job—just like the last three victims,” she added, looking at the scene around her.

Lawson was too busy looking at the body to listen to her ramblings.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking grim?” she asked him.

His frown deepened, “Something’s wrong here.”

“What?”

He did not answer, instead he looked at the person working on the body with his camera. “What can you tell me about the wound?” he asked the man.

“Well,” the man said, leaning closer to the body, “the wound started here,” he pointed at the right carotid without touching it, “and ended here,” he traced the slit to the left side of the neck where the slit ended. “You can see that the tear is much deeper where it started than where it ended giving us a picture that it was a fast slashing motion. Also, blood is more viscous and abundant at the right side.”

Lawson just nodded.

“What is it?” Tanaka prodded impatiently.

He looked at her and said, “Let’s go back to the station.” He saw her appalled look and added, “I’ll tell you on the way.” Standing up, he turned to the forensic guy and said, “I want the DNA of that kiss mark.”

(10:00am)

“Are you sure he did it right? I don’t want my name involved in this shit, do you hear me?” the strong authoritative voice said.

“And you think I do? Of course he did it right.”

“Good. Don’t call me unless you messed up again and my butt’s on the line.”

“I won’t,” he reassured, slamming the phone with a force. Fury colored his face at the moment. “Bastard,” he muttered under his breath.

His phone rang again.

“What?” he snapped.

“It’s me,” the familiar old voice said.

“I told you not to call me.”

“I just want to ask about the case.”

“Do you think I fucking know every detail?”

“Of course—”

“Stop calling me! If anything’s gonna bring us all down, it’s your phone calls!”

“Fine, fine, just get it over soon,” Simon’s voice answered.

For the second time, he slammed the phone down.

He puffed in fury and relief.

His plan worked.

(11:00am)

They met at his home office.

She looked around the large expensive room and said, “Nice place you got here.”

“I like it,” came the short reply.

“You’re private,” she added, considering his office location.

“I like the privacy,” he said, folding the morning paper he was reading when she came in and handed it to her as she took a seat across from him. “I see you’ve been busy last night?”

She frowned at him, not understanding what he meant until she looked down at the paper. “I didn’t do this.”

His brows rose, “Really? It says you did it.”

“No,” she shook her head. “I was still considering getting rid of Carlson.”

“You were considering? Why?”

She just shrugged, not willing to share the reason.

Sean looked at her intently, his handsome face unreadable. He made her feel weird and she didn’t like it.

“What?” she asked when he did not say anything, “I thought you want to talk about something.”

He nodded, taking his eyes off hers. “I want to thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saving my life fifteen years ago.”

“It was the right thing to do at that time.”

“Still, you risked your own life.”

She just nodded.

“Now that I’ve finally said it, let’s get down to business.” He folded his hands under his chin and said, “Tell me everything you know about what happened that night.”

She shifted in her seat, “Where do you want me to start?”

“I think I know why your parents were killed, but I have no idea why mine were.”

She fixed her gaze at the tree outside the window behind him before she answered. She had thought about it last night and she knew she would do the same thing if she was Lightman. She would demand to know everything. “That night, I only heard that man say his boss sent him to your father.”

He remained silent.

“That’s all I heard during that night. But I heard one name before he killed my father. It was not a long time before I put the pieces together.”

“Who?”

She struggled for a long time. Telling him the name would mean sharing her plan. But telling him the name of the man who was responsible for both their parents’ death would mean telling him what she needed. And Sean Lightman could definitely give her everything she needed. He had the money, the power, and the resources.

Her green eyes met his brown ones and she said, “Senator John Stuart.”