“What else do we know about him?”Miles asked.He was excited for a new lead but was also remaining grounded.It was becoming almost commonplace for leads to fall through.
“Not much yet.The team is still pulling his background, but Morrison said his social media posts go back about eighteen months.That's when he started talking about chemical auras and contamination.”
“Any connection to the victims?”
“They're checking now.But Miles, this guy has been publicly documenting his paranoia about chemical contamination.If he's our killer, he's been building his case against the victims in plain sight.Ifthis is him, it should be very obvious pretty quickly.”
Miles dared to let just a bit of excitement shine through.“So if this Walsh guyisour man, maybe the notes being left behind at each crime scene aren't just explanations.Maybe they’re supposed to be continuations of his public campaign.”
“Exactly.He's been warning people about chemical contamination through social media, and when that didn't work, he escalated to direct action.”
“How far to the apartment?”Miles asked.
“About twenty minutes.”
While he waited—and while Vic sped as safely as she could to their destination, Miles pulled out his phone and searched for Jeremy Walsh on YouTube.Several channels came up, but one immediately caught his attention.“ChemicalTruthSeeker” had posted dozens of videos over the past year and a half.
“Found his YouTube channel,” Miles said, clicking on the most recent video.
The video opened with a young man in his mid-twenties sitting in what appeared to be a cluttered apartment.Jeremy Walsh had dark hair that looked like it hadn't been cut in months, pale skin, and the intense stare of someone who never slept well.He wore a wrinkled t-shirt and spoke directly to the camera.
“Day forty-three of chemical aura documentation,” Walsh said.“The contamination levels in the downtown area are increasing exponentially.I recorded twelve separate instances of severe chemical radiation just walking to the coffee shop this morning.”
Miles felt a chill.Walsh's tone was calm and matter-of-fact, as if he were discussing the weather rather than conspiracy theories about chemical contamination.He had a calm, almost cool look about him.Young, handsome, and a bit crazed.
“He sounds completely rational,” Miles said.“That's what makes him dangerous.”
“Keep watching,” Vic said, glancing at the phone screen while maintaining attention on traffic.
In the video, Walsh held up a handheld device of some kind.“Using my modified spectrometer, I can detect chemical signatures that most people can't perceive.The barista at the coffee shop was radiating fluoride compounds, probably from dental work or contaminated water supplies.When I tried to warn her, she became hostile and defensive.”
Miles paused the video.“Fluoride compounds.He's specifically focused on fluorine-based chemicals.”
“That's not a coincidence.”
“And he’s also using what he’s claiming is a modified spectrometer… but it doesn’t look like any spectrometer I’ve ever seen.”
Miles scrolled through Walsh's other videos.The titles alone were revealing without even having to watch the videos: “Chemical Contamination at Metro Stations,” “Toxic Auras in Government Buildings,” “Warning: Fluoride Radiation in Public Schools and Churches.”
“Vic, look at this.”Miles held up the phone.“He posted a video three weeks ago called 'Elementary School Chemical Crisis.'
Miles clicked on the video.Walsh appeared on screen standing outside a school from a good distance.There was no traffic around the school, making Miles assume the video had been filmed during the weekend or after hours.His crude little device was pointed at the building.
“The chemical contamination emanating from this facility is beyond anything I've previously documented,” Walsh said to the camera.“The fluoride radiation levels are so intense I can barely stand to remain in the vicinity.Someone needs to warn the teachers and students before permanent damage occurs.But of course, congress and school boards can’t be bothered by something like this because there is no money to be made.”
“Vic… there are so many of these videos… at least fifty.”
He clicked on another one of Walsh standing outside of an apple orchard, shaking his head.“The chemical auras surrounding this establishment are off the charts,” Walsh said.“Pesticides, preservatives, synthetic fragrances.The old man working inside is radiating enough toxins to contaminate an entire city block.This is exactly the kind of chemical warfare I've been warning about.”
He then came to another post, this one titled: “Confronting Chemical Carriers.”This video was shakier, apparently filmed with a handheld camera on a city street.
“Day fifty-one of aura documentation,” Walsh's voice said from behind the camera.“I'm approaching a subject with severe radiation sickness to offer cleansing assistance.”The camera focused on a middle-aged woman walking out of a dental office.Walsh approached her, holding his spectrometer.His breathing was loud and ragged.
“Excuse me, ma'am,” Walsh said.“I'm detecting extremely high levels of fluoride contamination around you.You've been exposed to dangerous chemical compounds.”
The woman stopped and stared at him.“What are you talking about?”
“Your aura is radiating toxic fluoride.It's probably from dental treatments or contaminated water.I can help you understand the cleansing process that will neutralize these compounds.”
