Another web cam had been found mounted in a tree at the cemetery and when the FBI contacted the company administering the relay service for the camera, the IP address they gave led Jaxon to an internet cafe in downtown Washington D.C. The security cameras in the cafe gave them very little information despite having the timing down to the second. The killer kept his face hidden the whole time though they got a good indication of his body type. He was big, but it had only confirmed what the kids had told them the night of the attack in The Woods neighborhood. The man knew how to avoid detection.
The remainder of Sally’s funeral service had been a fiasco. Her parents had not appreciated the gravity of the situation and vocalized their disappointment at the outcome in as few words as possible. Most of them starting with the letter ‘F.’
The news crews had had a field day with the coverage and the department looked incompetent. The story had been broadcast on every station for two days. Jaxon watched himself deflate on TV as the black coat, hung on a branch by a gardener, fluttered in the wind, the officer holding it frowning into the camera.
Jaxon was frustrated. The computer program he got from Luke Harrison gave them nothing. They had designated one officer the sole task of monitoring the cell phone’s signal, but the damn thing hadn’t even been turned on since the software had been copied to the IT department’s computers. The phone Smith had called from during the funeral was a new number and they had no way of decoding it. The dead ends were like alleyways with thirty foot walls and Dobermans trapping him inside. He felt like he was clawing his fingertips off trying to scale the massive barriers. He’d give Harrison one more try.
He called Victoria at home first.
“You actually know my number,” she said, without saying hello. “It’s a true miracle. Are you bringing Reverb over?”
He smiled to himself for the first time in three days. “Should I? He’s mean and grouchy, but he might remember you.”
“Thanks. I thought dogs always remembered their owners.”
“He has a drinking problem. He can’t even remember where to pee.”
“Sounds like someone I know.”
“Like owner, like mutt.”
“Uh huh.”
“How is the head?” he asked.
“Sore, but I don’t have the bandage anymore. Looks worse than it feels. It’s got that sick yellow tinge to it old bruises get after a few days. Looks like a bird crapped on my head.”
“Well, I was going to ask you to come with me so your beauty and wonderful personality would offset my anger and bad manners, but maybe the bride of Frankenstein will make things worse.”
She laughed and the sound was good in his ear. “I could throw some sheet or bag over my head.”
“Worse.”
“What’s the plan, anyway?”
“I wanted to see if we could sweet talk the Harrison kid into giving up his hacker.”
“Smith’s cell phone hasn’t been turned on?” she asked.
“No. Not even for a second. He’s moved on to a new one and I doubt he’ll go back. This is a smart asshole.”
“When do you want to go?”
“Now.”
“I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes. Think you can find your way?”
“Sure.”
“You’ve never been here.”
Embarrassed he paused. “I know where it is.”
“You have been here,” she said, and he could hear the grin in her voice. “Why didn’t you knock?”
“I just know where it is, ok?”
“Uh-huh. See you in a bit.”
Jaxon put the phone in the cradle, slowly, and kicked himself for looking like a fool. She was not going to get to him this time. He swore to himself it wouldn’t happen. He needed a partner is all and she was the only one on top of everything. Just a partner. Besides, she was seeing Holt now. Their relationship was over and probably irreparably damaged. The death of a child had a tendency to do that. It was a known fact, a lot of marriages failed after the loss of a child. It was just too much to handle. Blame worked its way into the fabric of the love and weakened the threads. Slowly, the material began to unravel and the ragged pieces would give little shelter and warmth.
In Jaxon’s case, the blame had been huge. Still was. He carried a massive amount of guilt around, the burden rendering him ineffectual at times. The alcohol helped, but never pushed it completely out of his mind. He had to live with it every day and he could see it in her eyes, even now, though they were getting along better than they had in years. He imagined her blame as a inferno of resentment and the smoke and embers on the surface reflected in her eyes.
Then why was she being so nice? Why was she flirting with him? Or was he imagining that too? This kind of thinking drove him nuts, so he just shut it off. No time for the bullshit. He needed to find and kill this son-of-a-bitch and do it soon.
He made his way to Reston, where she and Holt held residence, and parked in the street in front of the condo. He knocked on the door and she opened it, smiling. She was beautiful and his mouth must have been hanging open because he forcibly shut it. She smiled even bigger.
“I dressed to impress. Even a teenage boy. They’re the easiest.”
“The way you talked, I expected to have to shelter you from the neighbors so they wouldn’t run screaming in terror.” He paused. “You look good.”
“Thanks,” she said as she pulled the door shut and locked it behind her. Her hair was down and shiny black, the makeup she had applied only let a hint of the bruise through and the bright red lipstick drew enough attention away from her injury that you had to be looking for it to even notice it. The blouse she wore was cream colored and low cut, her cleavage impressive enough to draw any idiot’s eyes away from her face. The bruise would never be seen by most. The tight skirt and heels finished the ensemble, making her radiant in the late afternoon sun.
“I had a thought,” she said.
“Just one?”
“One for now. Do you want to hear it or what?”
“Shoot.” He opened the car door for her and she looked surprised. She slipped into the seat and waited.
“I think it would be good if we picked up the girl too and brought her with us to the Harrison kid’s house. Those two are an item and maybe we can use that to our advantage. She looks so much more open to suggestion than the boy.”
“How do you know this?” but he grinned. “You haven’t even met them.”
“I read Sally’s report as well as yours. She always touches on the more personal aspects of a case where you just stick to the facts. She made reference to the fact they were a couple and the girl, more emotional, as would be expected. The personal stuff can make or break a case you know.”
“Whatever. I like it. Call her mother while we drive. Play the big FBI agent so we can borrow her for a while.”
“That’s me, United States Government employee. Pension plan and all.”
He gave her the number and she made it look easy. Jaxon remembered Madison Pemberton and was glad it was Victoria dealing with her and not him. The woman could be a total bitch.
They picked Ellie up and made a little small talk on the short one minute drive to the Harrison’s. The girl seemed distracted. Jaxon could tell something had happened and he would press it with her when the boy and girl were together. Jaxon hated to think he would be interrogating these two, but there was a lot on the line, including their lives. Especially the girl’s. Smith had said she was next.
As they knocked on the door, Jaxon looked around the court and it occurred to him there just may be hidden web cams somewhere around here. The kids did say it seemed like the killer knew every move they made and a lot of personal information about them. He’d have to check the area when they were done here. The web cam seemed to be the asshole’s tool of choice.
The door was answered by the father who glared at Jaxon but then softened when he saw Victoria. This was going to work like a charm. They were led into the house to the same room he and Sally had been in when they came to give the horrible, but inaccurate, news of their son’s death. The room felt chilly.
The Harrison kid was sitting on the couch waiting for them and when he saw the girl, his eyes lit up and he jumped up and stepped quickly to her, taking her in his arms. This was going to be easier than he thought. Even though he felt confident about getting the information they needed, he couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of happiness at the cuteness of the young couple. Apparently, three days apart was just too much. Victoria turned to him and smiled, giving him a look he was having a hard time reading. Her eyes were shining and he thought she might actually cry, but it didn’t happen. She may not be as useful as he originally thought.
The father left them alone and Jaxon cleared his throat. The kids reluctantly separated but sat next to each other holding hands. They looked happy, but terrified.
“How are you guys holding up?” Jaxon said, taking a seat in a wing back chair whose back rest was so vertical he felt he was almost leaning forward as he sat.
One ‘ok’ from the girl and one ‘crappy’ from the boy.
“We’re tired of being cooped up,” Luke said. “How long before you get this guy?”
“That’s what we’re here for, of course,” Jaxon said. “This is Special Agent Jenn-uh-Elliot, from the FBI. She’s helping in the case now.”
Victoria took the cue and ran with it. “Hi. I know you guys are going nuts trapped in your houses, unable to see each other. Maybe we can find a way to give you a little time together every day until we catch the guy. Would that be good?”
Their faces both lit up and they looked at each other and smiled, Ellie bouncing up and down on the couch a little.
“That would be epic!” Ellie said.
Jaxon watch Victoria smile and he appreciated the way she became the two’s best friend right off the bat. He relaxed. Victoria was great at this kind of stuff and he had forgotten how caring she could be. He knew she did what she did not only out of a desire to get them on her side, but because she could tell these kids needed to be together. They were falling apart without each other’s support. It was the least she could do.
“Ok,” she said, “but you have to do it by our rules, alright?”
They nodded vigorously.
“We’ll figure it out after we talk, ok?”
More nodding.
Jaxon looked at Ellie and said, “Miss Pemberton, is everything ok? Has something else happened?”
Her lip trembled immediately and she started to cry. So much for getting them on their side, he thought.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” Victoria said. “Just tell us what happened.”
Ellie looked at Luke and then said softly, “He sent me a message on Facebook.”
“El, why didn’t you tell me?” Luke said. “When did this happen?”
“Just a little while ago.”
“What did he say?”
“He said, ‘I know your father.’”
“Oh, El. How could that be? He’s making stuff up now, to get to you.”
“Why would he be bringing your father into this, Eliana?” Victoria asked.
“He sent me another message the other day saying ‘Your real name is not Eliana Pemberton.’ Now, I know how he knows that.”
“Is that true?” Victoria asked.
Ellie nodded.
“What is your real name?”
“Eliana Worthington.” And she told them the story of her divorced parents and her mother’s desire to separate the children and herself from their father’s legacy. Victoria shared a look with Jaxon.
“What is your father’s name?” Jaxon asked.
“Leonard Worthington.”
“Do you know anything about him? Where he lives? What he does for a living? What he looks like?”
She was shaking her head no. “I never knew him. He left when I was very little and my mother kept only one picture of him I found by mistake. She hates him.”
“Do you think she knows where he is?”
“I don’t know,” Ellie said. “You’d have to ask her.”
“Anything else bothering you?” Victoria asked.
Ellie sat quiet for a moment holding her boyfriends hand tightly in hers. Finally she said, “Why?”
Victoria looked at Jaxon again and then turned back to face the kids. “Why did he pick you?”
Ellie nodded.
“We don’t know,” Victoria said. “If we did, we might have a lead that would help us get him. Can you think of any reason someone would want to do this to you? Someone you angered or someone who doesn’t like you?”
“Everybody likes Ellie,” Luke said. “Except her stupid brother, but he’s an asshole. Sorry.”
“Aren’t all brothers jerks?” Victoria asked and Ellie smiled again.
“Yeah.”
“At least when they’re young. They grow up and are a lot better. For the most part,” Victoria said. “What we really came to talk to you two about is the computer program your friend used to decode the cell phone number Smith was using.”
“You guys can’t track him with the software I gave you?” Luke asked.
“He hasn’t turned that cell phone on again,” Jaxon said. “We think he’s ditched it. He called me two days ago from an untraceable cell number and it wasn’t the one you gave us. We’ve been monitoring it 24/7/365 and he hasn’t used it.”
“I don’t have the program my friend used to decode it. He didn’t give me that one.”
“Can we talk to your friend? It’s very important,” Jaxon said.
Luke looked down at the floor, uncomfortably. Then he looked at Ellie. She stared at him with a look that said, ‘Tell them.’
“I don’t want to give you his name without him saying it’s ok,” Luke said. “I promised.”
“Do you understand what’s at stake here, Lucas?” Victoria asked very seriously. “Ellie’s life is at stake. Do you think your friend’s feelings are more important than Ellie’s life?”
Jaxon watched the kid crumble. Victoria had been brutally honest with him. She stayed silent now, letting him work it out.
“His name is Q,” Luke said. “Quentin. I need to call him first if we’re going to see him. His family may not like a bunch of cops just showing up.”
“Do you want to use my phone?” Jaxon said.
He shook his head. “No. I’ll do it from mine. He knows my number.”
“Can you try now? The clock is ticking,” Jaxon said, “and we need to find this guy. Before it’s too late.”
Luke nodded and left the room. He returned a moment later with a cell phone against his ear. Jaxon could hear it ringing. After twenty rings or so, Luke hung up.
“He always answers his phone. Maybe he knows what’s going on. It’s been in the news. He could be hiding,” Luke said.
“Can we go to his house?” Victoria asked.
“His family won’t like it,” Luke said uneasily. “They have big dogs and I know his dad has guns. I don’t think they’re legit.”
“Legit?” Jaxon asked.
“Luke means his parents have both been to jail,” Ellie said. “They sell drugs.”
“We just want to talk. We don’t want to arrest them,” Victoria said. “Can you take us there?”
Luke looked at Ellie and she nodded slightly. “Alright,” he said. “It’s not far.”
They arrived at Q’s house and Jaxon was not impressed. The house was a shack. The last shack they had been to exploded on them and Jaxon looked apprehensively over this beat up 1950’s era block home. A chain link fence encircled the whole front yard and abandoned motorcycles, toys, washers, chests, and coolers littered it making it look deserted.
Luke said, “Where are his dogs?”
“They have dogs?” Jaxon asked.
“Yeah. Mean ones. I’m surprised they’re not here, snarling and frothing at the mouth.”
Jaxon looked at Victoria. She shrugged.
“You kids stay here. If anything happens, get on your cell phones and call 911. Don’t go near the house.”
“What’s wrong?” Ellie asked.
“Probably nothing,” Victoria said. “Just let us check it out.”
The two kids nodded their heads and stood close to each other. “Wait in the car,” Jaxon said. “And lock the doors.”
Jaxon walked to the gate and then stopped. He looked up at the trees and light poles, trying to see if any cameras or something unusual stood out against the trashy and run down neighborhood. He could see nothing that looked out of place. Victoria joined him in the search.
“Do you think he has it rigged?” she said.
“I don’t think he’s had time. I don’t know how he would even know about this kid.”
“He’s been one step ahead of us this whole time.”
He nodded. “We take it slow.”
“Do you want to call back up?”
“No. Do you?”
She grinned and shook her head.
He turned toward the house and whistled. “Here boy! Kujo! Fifi! Here girl!”
She said, “That’s great. Will you just open the gate.”
“Just making sure,” he said. “That book was creepy.”
He reached over and lifted the latch. The gate swung open slowly on rusty hinges. No dogs attacked. They approached the front door and knocked. Nothing. He motioned to the side of the house and she nodded. Weaving through the trash, they stepped over a rather large dirty bathtub and came up on the rear yard. A window was to his left. He looked inside, but the grime coating the glass made it impenetrable. Nothing inside made a sound.
The backyard was worse than the front and an ancient above ground pool sagged onto the back porch, the remaining water black with algae and whatever else had accumulated over the years. As he scanned the backyard, brown fur caught his eye. Victoria saw it too. She motioned to the right and they worked their way around the pool.
Two dogs lay next to each other just outside their doghouse. Jaxon could not tell the breeds. Their heads were missing. He drew his weapon and Victoria did the same.
He noticed the back sliding glass door was broken. He motioned toward it and they worked their way through the yard to the back door. Dirty, grey, sheer curtains blew in and out of the broken glass, but nothing inside made a sound. Jaxon pushed the curtains out of the way and entered the house. The smell assaulted him instantly.
Victoria followed and said under her breath, “Ah, Jesus.”
Jaxon didn’t expect to find anyone dangerous still in the house but he kept his weapon out just the same. They stepped into the kitchen and found dirty dishes and trash littered throughout the room. Pushing the door open into the living room the smell grew stronger and as Jaxon’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, he found the origin.
Two men and a woman were seated on a couch, bullet holes in their heads, flies buzzing around them. They looked to have been dead at least three days. Jaxon imagined the terror they must have felt as their killer lined them up and shot them one by one.
Victoria had moved to a hallway and he followed her down the short dark space. A door to the right yielded to a room full of junk. It was stacked to the ceiling in places with crap Jaxon remembered fondly growing up. Toy G.I. Joes, Atari game consoles, tricycles, big wheels, hundreds of board games, clothing. Jaxon could not believe these people had amassed so much useless crap over their pathetic lifetimes. And why had they kept it all?
The next room was locked. Jaxon felt along the top of the sill and found a key. He slipped it into the lock and it turned. They opened the door onto another world. A hacker’s dream realm laid out before them, computers and monitors and Ipads and PS3’s and Xbox360’s. Everything a computer geek could want. This computer geek was sitting is his chair in front of the three huge computer monitors arrayed across the littered desk. A video of a cat was playing on the screens, but the boy was not watching it. His head was missing.