by Robin Mahle
“I think we need to continue working our way through what we know of each of the victims’ missing items. The killer seemed to have a proclivity for collecting these small, shiny things. That’s the best indication of a pattern we have,” Captain Hearn said.
Katie coined the term for lack of a better description of the killer’s collection, given the fact that the boy, whose parents still maintained a small part of their home as a shrine to their son, said he kept a silver toy train engine on his dresser. He was the only victim to have been taken from his home. They’d never been able to find that toy.
Captain Hearn seemed pleased by their progress. “Avery, if Scarborough needs your assistance entering this new data, then that needs to be your priority.”
After the briefing, Marshall assisted Scarborough, as directed. Katie was right on the money with her assumptions and the remaining families confirmed as much. The Portland girl, Angela, had been wearing a charm bracelet when she disappeared. It was noted in the Portland PD case file that she was not wearing it when they found her body, but that detail was never entered into ViCAP; a seemingly insignificant oversight, until now.
“You ready to get out of here?” Marshall leaned on her cubicle wall. It was already dark and neither of them had eaten since the plane.
“Yes, I am.” She was more than ready to get back to Marshall’s place. It wasn’t home, but it was the closest she was going to get to it and better than the crappy hotels she’d been staying in for the past few nights. What about all the wasteful government spending she’d heard so much about? That must not have applied to the FBI’s budget when footing the bill for this trip.
The cool evening breeze drifted in through the open windows of Marshall’s apartment, although it did bring with it a mild scent of car exhaust from the streets below.
The soothing drone of the television soon quieted her racing thoughts and the couch she curled up on felt comfortable and safe. She was wound tight and could feel it in her stomach; like someone had a vice grip on her gut and was squeezing it with tremendous strength. She hadn’t even noticed when Marshall sat down beside her, holding out a bottle of beer. The much-needed beverage signaled the end of a long few days. “Thanks.”
“Agent Scarborough said his team is still up in Oregon City, checking out the customer lists at the stores. So far, no one recognizes the sketch, but they’re searching their records for sales of that bond paper.”
“Do you think that’s a viable lead or are we grasping at straws here?” Katie asked.
“Nothing is insignificant; not in this case. Remember, it’s the little things that bring down the worst criminals. We don’t want to overlook anything right now. Besides, just because we’ve established a connection, it doesn’t bring us any closer to finding him. It only allows us to find any additional victims that could be in the system that we hadn’t thought were connected. It establishes a pattern of behavior that will work to our advantage. But our goal is to find him, and that still plays an important part.”
“I can’t talk about this any more tonight; I’m sorry. I just need some time to process everything that’s happened these past few days.”
“Understood,” Marshall replied.
He had an on/off switch that Katie hadn’t acquired as of yet. It amazed her still.
They sat side by side, the television flashing meaningless images, but offered a welcomed distraction. Katie could feel the movement of Marshall’s body every time he changed seating positions on the couch; resting one leg on the other, then changing again. He seemed anxious. She suspected it was because this was the first time in days that they’d been truly alone. While traveling, they stayed in separate hotel rooms, a patrolman stationed outside her door at all times, as Marshall had insisted.
It was the first time they had been alone since the kiss; the one he hadn’t once mentioned.
Katie missed the ease with which they used to talk. They could talk about anything. But lately, and especially since the kiss, things were different. He told her once before, when fear consumed her enough to try to seek comfort from him, that it couldn’t happen that way. He wouldn’t take advantage of her like that. Did he feel he let her down this time when he gave in to her impulse?
Katie inhaled deeply, preparing to broach the topic, when her cell phone rang. “That’s probably Sam returning my call from a few days ago.” She stood up with obvious haste; a sense of relief that her topic would have to wait, and grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter.
“Hello?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Hello?” she asked again.
A look of concern crossed Marshall’s face as he turned to her.
“Little Katie.”
She knew those words; she knew that voice from a very long time ago. Her hand froze, unable to drop the phone that was now infected with the evil that sounded from it. She met Marshall’s eyes with a wild look of terror, her body trembled as she waited for what would come next. It was the first time she’d heard him speak since her escape. Different from her dreams, but no doubt it was the same man.
Her mouth opened, about to reply, but instead gasped to fill her lungs with the air that had unexpectedly escaped. Marshall immediately leaped out of his seat and rushed to her side. The sight of her was enough for him to know what was happening. He motioned her to stay on the line, to get him talking. Her phone was being monitored. This was her chance.
“You have me all wrong in your little sketch, Katie. I saw it on the news. I’m much more handsome than that. Don’t you remember?”
Marshall was trying to get her to respond.
“How did you get my number?” It was the only thing she could think of and regretted it immediately. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to talk for long and that was the best she could do?
“What about my keepsake; my little trinket? Will you be returning it to me? I’m only missing the one. Yours. Don’t make me find a replacement, little Katie.”
And that was it; he was gone. Katie’s knees collapsed from under her. Marshall reached out to grab her before she fell to the ground.
“You’re okay, you’re okay. Just sit down.” He kicked the dining chair out from under the table and sat her down.
“Son of a bitch!” Marshall yanked his phone from his pocket and called Agent Scarborough. “He just made contact with Kate. He’s got her number. Find out where the call came from!” he barked at the agent. “I’ll meet you at the station in twenty.” Marshall lifted her off the chair carefully. “I’m sorry, Kate, but we need to go now. We have to find out where he is. Can you walk?”
The most she could manage was a slow blink of her eyes as acknowledgment. Come on, shake out of it.
Was this it? Were they about to find him? Without a word, she followed Marshall out the door.
Several people swarmed the SDPD conference room by the time they arrived. Technicians from their station, the FBI, Captain Hearn; they were all there, buzzing around, scrambling to track down where the call came from.
Katie saw maps on nearly every computer screen; large, colorful circles overlapping one another on not only the city, but throughout northern California and up the coast.
“What is all this?” Katie asked. She spotted Agent Scarborough heading toward them.
“As you know, after the unsub emailed you, we had your cell phone monitored,” he began. “The way we do that, in order to determine the location of a call, is through a device known as ‘Stingray.’ It’s essentially a fake cell tower that tricks a phone to connect to it. We can monitor calls and narrow down a cell phone’s location.”
“It’s controversial, to say the least, because it can also pick up calls from anyone in the immediate area,” Marshall said.
“Yes, but it is invaluable in tracking down the people we want to find. The other noise that comes through is discarded,” Scarborough continued.
Katie couldn’t have cared less about this and impatiently waited for one of them
to make a point.
“But what this means is that we are able to locate the unsub, most of the time. The only problem is when the mobile phone is being utilized in a more remote or rural area.” Scarborough pointed to one of the monitors. “There are far fewer cell towers in remote locations, which makes it much more difficult to pinpoint exactly where a call came from. This is the problem we’re having now.”
“So what do we know at this moment?” Marshall asked.
“We know the call came from somewhere northeast of Eureka. We can’t get any closer than about a fifty-mile radius.”
“Jeez, we were just there!” Katie prayed this would be the end of it, that they would be able to find him now.
“I’m sorry, Katie. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear,” Agent Scarborough said.
“But what about the email? Don’t we know where that came from yet?” she asked.
“The IP address came from a server located at the public library in Eureka. He used one of their computers to log on and send the email. The address is no longer valid.”
How many times had she been down this road? Dead end after dead end. Was he going to taunt her the rest of her life, or would he eventually track her down and kill her while the FBI and police used their hi-tech devices that didn’t seem to be telling them a damn thing.
She wanted to storm out of there, find that damned Marc Aguilar, and broadcast to the world that if that son of a bitch wanted her, to come and get her. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, release the fear and the anger that had been building over these past several months. He was controlling her again, just like he did when he locked her in that basement. It had to stop. She would have to draw him out.
“I want to hold a press conference and direct it to him. I know he’ll be listening. Tell him that I’m right here. Come and get me!” She shouted those final words.
Everyone in the room turned to look at her, but she didn’t care any more.
“Kate, I know you’re frustrated,” Marshall began. “But this is your life we’re talking about. He’s getting too close and I think it’s time we consider getting you out of here.”
“What?” Her anger was spilling over onto the person she trusted most. Was he turning against her?
“I think we need to reconsider protective custody.” Marshall looked at Agent Scarborough as he spoke.
Katie could see by their exchange that they were in agreement. No, she would not let this happen, not now. “Absolutely not, Marshall! I am in this and I’m not going anywhere. The only reason we’ve gotten as far as we have is that he’s been contacting me. Look, we know he’s in northern California, just based on the call and the email. We may not know exactly where, but why the hell can’t we send some people up there to find him? Go to the library; see if anyone recognizes him. Why the hell is this so hard for you to figure out?”
Marshall reached for her shoulder. “Kate, I can only do so much to protect you. We will obviously follow the leads we have and, trust me: he’s going to screw up enough for us to find him. I promise you that. His arrogance will get him caught. But I can’t be worried about ensuring your safety. The FBI will send you somewhere safe until we find him.”
“So, I’m expected to stay there for how long? A month? A year? How long will it take for you to catch him, Marshall?” She stepped back and watched his hand slip from her shoulder. Her anger was lashing through him like a whip; deep and stinging with every syllable. She could see it in his face.
She turned away, not wanting to see what her words were doing to him. “I’m not going to be hidden away, Marshall.” Her tone calmed as she scanned the room again. This time, everyone looked away and went back to their assigned tasks. “You need me to draw him out and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
The resolve in her gaze was enough for both Agent Scarborough and Marshall to concede. They almost simultaneously gave a single nod in her direction. The agent went back to his computer monitors and jotted down the coordinates that flashed on the screen.
“This is where we’ll go first.” Scarborough held up his tablet. “If we go now, we’ll be there by first light.”
Neither of them said anything further. Direction had been given. They would be going back to Eureka tonight and the team would scour the 50-mile radius from the cell signal.
Back at Marshall’s place, Katie packed a few things for the flight. They were to fly out on the red-eye, which gave her only a couple of hours before they had to leave for the airport again. The two hadn’t spoken more than a few words since returning to his apartment.
Guilt was setting in and she didn’t know how to approach him for an apology. She was wrong to lash out that way. Marshall had been the only one so far to ensure her continued involvement in the case. He knew what it meant to her, so it took her by surprise when he was the first to suggest that she go into custody.
“I’m sorry, Marshall. I forgot myself for a minute and I had no right to say those things to you, especially in front of Agent Scarborough.”
“It’s all right, Kate. I understand what this is doing to you.”
“No, it’s really not all right. You’re trying to protect me and all I give you is grief. I just want this to be over. I feel like my life is on hold, like he’s taking more of it away from me.”
“I get that. I do.” He walked toward the couch where she was pulling items from one suitcase and putting them into another.
“I feel like a transient. I’m just moving from one place to another; unsettled and uncertain of where I’m supposed to go next.”
Marshall reached for her hand as she grabbed a shirt from the big suitcase. He held the shirt with her. “Hey, you’ve been through more than anyone I know. You’ve changed your entire life, your career, everything to find this man. I had no right to ask you to stop now.”
She stared into his eyes, which looked grey instead of green in the dim light of the apartment. It was late and she was tired—of everything. But it was then that she realized her feelings for him were real and wondered if they were one-sided. Too much had happened today to worry about it now.
Katie dropped her gaze. “I know you’re trying to protect me, but please know that I have to find him. I can’t sit back while you, the whole of the FBI, and all the other police departments track him down. It’s me he wants and you know he won’t leave me alone—not now.”
They were back in Eureka after having been there not even a full twenty-four hours before. Nobody knew where the killer had called from, but Scarborough was about to meet the field techs who could get them as close as possible to where they suspected his location to be.
No one slept on the plane and it was now seven o’clock in the morning. The team arrived at a local FBI field office in Eureka, where they had much greater access to equipment that would provide the specifics they needed. Though unrelated to the Behavioral Analysis Unit, Scarborough seemed to be familiar with some of the other agents working there and quickly gave them a download of their purpose.
“Avery, Katie, come on over here. I’d like you to meet someone.”
Within earshot of Scarborough’s words, the two headed in his direction.
“Special Agent Rick Vance; he’s in charge of this satellite office of DITU. Sorry, the Data Intercept Technology Unit, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the many acronyms of the FBI.”
“Nice to meet you, Agent Vance,” Katie replied.
“Detective Avery, SDPD. Nice to meet you.”
Scarborough continued. “These guys utilize a system called NarusInsight. It’s basically a surveillance program that collects mass amounts of data. They can search emails, internet traffic, key search words; just about anything. It’s installed directly into the internet service provider’s infrastructure and the data it collects is stored externally for deciphering by technicians. They also utilize Stingray on a much broader basis.”
Katie was beginning to realize there was no such thing as privacy an
y more. But that held little weight right now, given the fact that this technology could very well lead them to the killer. “So, you’re saying they can find him with the use of these systems?” Katie could only handle so much of the FBI’s vernacular and wanted to get down to brass tacks.
“I’m saying we can get a hell of a lot closer with their help,” Scarborough replied. “Look, I’m sure you must be exhausted. Why don’t you two go get checked into a hotel, get some rest, and I’ll be in touch later on this afternoon. I’m going to need to work with these guys for a while before we know anything further.”
It was midday when Marshall’s cell phone rang. Neither of them had gotten much more than about an hour or two of sleep. It was late in the week and the hotel they checked into was one of the few with rooms available. It seemed there was some big convention in town and the place was teeming with medical professionals making a lot of noise.
“Gotta be Scarborough. He said he’d call after they had a chance to analyze the data.” Into the phone, he continued, “Detective Avery here.” Marshall held the phone to his ear and soon began breathing hard, his chest heaving in and out, but still saying nothing.
No, not again, she thought.
He put his phone down, never taking his eyes off of Katie. “That was Wilson. He just got a call from Jarrod Hansen. Sam didn’t come home from work yesterday.”
18
It was six o’clock the next morning before they arrived back in Arcata. Scarborough didn’t want to leave Eureka until he gathered as much information as possible from the surveillance team. And in the end, they determined the call came from the area around Arcata. It seemed they would have ended up there one way or another.
Katie could hardly remember anything that had happened since Marshall uttered those words yesterday afternoon. She remembered rushing back to the FBI’s field office to meet with Scarborough, where Marshall went on to explain how the chief was notified of the disappearance.
