So Close the Hand of Death
Talent borrows. Genius steals. Evil delegates. It's a hideous echo of a violent past. Across America, murders are being committed with all the twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows instantly that The Pretender is back…and he's got helpers.As The Pretender's disciples perpetrate their sick homages—stretching police and FBI dangerously thin—Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won't risk losing anyone she loves.But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll—she's beside herself and ready to snap. The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch…Praise for J.T. Ellison"A terrific lead character, terrific suspense, terrific twists…a completely convincing debut." - Lee Child "A taut, striking debut. Mystery fiction has a new name to watch." - John ConnollyThe Taylor Jacksons series1. All The Pretty Girls2. 143. Judas Kiss4. The Cold Room5. The Immortals6. So Close the Hand of Death7. Where All the Dead Lie
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Praise for the novels of J.T. Ellison
âMystery fiction has a new name to watch.â
âJohn Connolly
âThe Cold Room combines
The Silence of the Lambs with The Wire.â
âJanuary Magazine
âOutstandingâ¦potent characterization and clever plotting, and Ellison systematically cranks up the intensity all the way to the riveting ending.â
âPublishers Weekly on The Immortals [starred review]
âFlawlessly plotted, with well-defined characters and conflictâ¦quite simply a gem.â
âRT Book Reviews [Top Pick] on The Cold Room
âA tight and powerful story.
Judas Kiss moves at a rapid-fire rateâ¦rushing like adrenaline through the bloodstream.â
âThe Strand Magazine
âCarefully orchestrated plot twists and engrossing characters⦠Flawed yet identifiable characters and genuinely terrifying villains populate this impressive and arresting thriller.â
âPublishers Weekly on Judas Kiss [starred review]
âA twisty, creepy and wonderful book⦠Ellison is relentless and grabs the reader from the first page and refuses to let go until the soul-tearing climax.â
âCrimespree on 14
âA terrific lead character, terrific suspense, terrific twistsâ¦a completely convincing debut.â
âLee Child on All the Pretty Girls
âAll the Pretty Girls is a spellbinding suspense novel and Tennessee has a new dark poet.
A turbocharged thrill ride of a debut.â
âJulia Spencer-Fleming
So Close the Hand of Death
J.T. Ellison
For David Achord, who gave me the tools.
And for my Randy.
By three methods may we learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.
âConfucius
Imitation is suicide.
âRalph Waldo Emerson
Contents
November 5
Chapter One
November 6
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
November 7
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
November 8
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Two Weeks Later
November 22
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Acknowledgments
One
Boston, Massachusetts
8:12 p.m. To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Boston
Dear Troy,
All is well. BB
Quiet, except for the pounding of his heart.
She was home now, the week of late nights at the office finally over. Heâd been starting to wonder if sheâd ever make it back and was amused at the relief he felt when he saw her trundling down the street, her heavy wool coat dragging her steps. He had been more concerned than he expected, considering the stakes. This was just a game for him, after all. A lovely game.
Sheâd walked right past the truck without giving him a second glance. A few feet more and she was at her building. The wrought-iron kissing gate was broken, listing slightly, ajar. She pushed it open with her left hand and plodded up the steps. He watched with his head bent, eyes slid to the side as she unlocked the door and slipped inside. She never turned her head, never thought for a moment that she wasnât safe. Her millionth mistake this week.
Heâd give it just one more minute, let her get upstairs. He busied himself with the package, the hard, plastic electronic-signature tablet, the straps on the box, all the while counting.
One Mississippi. Two Mississippi.
Once he hit sixty, he followed her path to the door. He pushed his finger into the white button, heard the shrill bell ringing. A womanâs voice, tinny and thin, said, âYes?â
âDelivery for June Earhart.â
She buzzed him in without saying anything else. The door unlocked with a snap and he pulled it wide, allowing enough room for the handcart to fit in, adjusting his cap lower on his head. He didnât want his face to be seen. There were cameras in the foyer, he knew from earlier reconnaissance.
He thought about his target. He loved the way June looked. Brown hair, brown eyes, five foot six, somewhat lumpy, but that was just because she enjoyed her food and didnât exercise. Not lazy, never lazy. Justâ¦padded.
Heâd watched her take lunch all this week: Monday was McDonaldâs, Tuesday Subway, Wednesday a couple of iced crullers and a sugary juice smoothie from Dunkinâ Donuts. Thursday sheâd stayed in, but this afternoon sheâd gone for a grinder, thick with salami and ham and cheese, with a side of potato chips. He wondered if she would smell like onions or if sheâd been considerate enough to chew some gum, or suck on a Tic-Tac. Heâd wager the latter; June was a self-conscious woman.
