“Absolutely not,” I say. “My clients come to me expecting confidentiality.”
Greene sighs, as if she was anticipating that answer.
Alderson looks at her before continuing. “We’ve scoured surveillance footage around the places the first ones were struck. We’ve got analysts building models of their last days, looking for patterns and connections.”
“What about an IP address?”
“We have web specialists trying to pin that down, but the person’s got a level of tech smarts. VPN encrypting can make it difficult to trace.”
“Nothing at all?”
“It’s taken some time, but we’ve been able to trace the first three posts to VPNs in public spaces: the first two to public libraries nowhere near the victims in Snohomish and Santa Monica, and the last from a computer at a Staples in Kennewick, Washington,” Alderson says. “But that last victim—the third—whoever he was, was left alone. We believe we have a good lead on who he might be and are in the process of talking to him.”
Questions run through my mind like a ticker tape, but I let Alderson continue.
“We assume that they post in a public place from a random computer that can’t be traced and drive or fly somewhere else to get the victims, to throw us off. We’ve got people scouring all security footage of libraries in the vicinity of where the victims lived and even much larger parameters. But they’re smart enough to pick libraries that don’t have camerasdirectly on their entrances, so we’ve had to search nearby streets and blocks. It’s tedious.”
“Anything at all?”
“Nothing solid,” Alderson says.
I can’t tell if their tight lips are standard protocol or if they really have nothing to go on. “Any patterns? Because it would be good to know if I fit into one.”
“We’re working on it.” Greene’s eyes stay fixed on me. “We’re expanding our searches of the victims’ phone and computer records.” She circles back: “It would be helpful to get a look at yours, too.”
I ignore her.
“We’re still checking into all of it,” Alderson reiterates, as if every frank thing Greene says needs massaging over by his smooth voice. Maybe people perceive me the same way—that I’m too blunt. “You’ve seen them, right?” he asks. “They both had decent jobs, but nothing especially high powered or uber important. They weren’t in politics or law enforcement, weren’t big oil, Wall Street, or pharma tycoons. One was a high school football coach and the other worked for Santa Monica Community College.”
“In education.”
“Yes. But not you.”
“And the earrings? I mean, they’re not that uncommon.”
“They’re the first real clue we’ve gotten,” he says. “We’re trying to track down all the purchasers of the other ones sold and sending our field officers to check them out, but it’s tedious. Not all gift shops keep detailed records, and even when they do, they’re slow at going through everything and getting the information to us. And if people pay cash, there’s no trace. But we’ll let you know if we come across anyone who’s purchased earrings like these who resembles the sketch as much as you do.”
I swallow, my throat tight.As much as you do.“So, why the earrings, do you think? Why get so specific now? Do they want to suddenly be known, to give you more clues?”
“Eventually, they all want recognition.”
“But surely the killer must know that the victim would contact authorities and that you’d try to catch him by keeping an eye on the bait.”
Onme.
“Possibly,” Greene says. “Sometimes it’s a game, and he’s upping the stakes.”
Like the Zodiac Killer, sending messages with ciphers to the Bay Area newspapers, mocking the detectives working his case.Upping the stakes.“But why so specific?”
“We don’t know yet,” Alderson says. “We’re looking into it all. Might not even be the same person.”
“I’ve thought of that. Someone hopping on the bandwagon. A copycat seizing an opportunity to kill me under the guise of this psycho.” I think of Ridgeway.
“It’s a thought,” he says. “Or to frighten you. Can you think of anything you’ve worked on, as either a cop or a PI, that has poked a bear?”
“Plenty,” I say. I’ll tell them about Robbie Ridgeway, but not this moment. I want to hear more about what they’ve found. “But nothing enough to warrant this kind of a response. What do your analysts think about the drawings? Same sketcher or not?”
“We’re working on that. As of now, we don’t have evidence to suggest it one way or the other. Each artist has a signature style, so we’re checking into that, if only to rule out copycats or pranksters. Either way, though, we do need you to think of anyone who might have any reason to harm or frighten you. We also need to know if you know anyone in your circles who knows how to draw, someone who’s good with art.”
