“Well, yeah . . . I mean, yeah, I’m pretty sure.” His gaze locked on Kait’s face. “You’re just trying to intimidate us with all this computer stuff to get the upper hand on this case.”
Kait shook her head. “No we’re not, Detective. We’re just trying to help you understand that the problem is pervasive and why men like Fenton Rhodes are willing to kill to keep their networks intact.” She wrote eight to ten billion on the white board. “This is the estimated number of devices connected to the Internet last year. A recent study says that nearly thirty percent of them are infected with malware. Imagine three billion computers under the control of criminals.”
Yates’s jaw dropped open.
“So tell me, Detective Yates,” Kait said, then paused dramatically. “Do you think it’s likely that three billion people know their machines are infected, and they’re willingly turning a blind eye to criminals who use their computers to commit crimes?”
Yates crossed his arms. “Of course not.”
“So you’ll concede the fact that your computer might be infected and you don’t know it?”
Sam would have gloated here, but Kait didn’t show any sign of winning.
“I guess it’s possible,” Yates admitted.
“And this is how Rhodes got the virus with the message on so many computers,” Sam clarified.
“Yes. Men like Fenton have built up a network of computers just waiting to do their bidding.” She looked at Sam’s team members. “We call them bots, and men like him, bot herders. In this case, he sacrificed the machines that crashed. He can no longer use them.”
“So he did all of this to send the message?” Sam peered at her, hoping to see what she was feeling, but he got a blank look. “A message that says to me he has a grudge against you, and he wants you to know it. Maybe wants to do more than tell you about it, too.”
“I’m the least of our worries, Detective.” She met his gaze directly, not showing an ounce of fear. “Fenton is obsessive about not letting anyone best him. If he blames me for having to go into hiding when Abby died and leave his life behind, then he not only wants to make me pay, but assert his superiority as well. Which to me says, he’ll follow through on his threat and kill again, if we don’t locate him before he succeeds.”
Chapter Thirteen
A DARK CLOUD settled over the room, and Kait hated that her statement about Fenton had been the cause of it.
“As Agent Knight said, time is of the essence.” Vance stood, his strong presence seeming to defuse the tension. “I’d like Detective Murdock to provide an update on the murder investigation.”
Kait appreciated Vance’s adept redirection of the group as she returned to her seat next to Jae, whose leg was bobbing a hundred miles an hour, upping Kait’s unease. She’d been hanging on by sheer will since she’d seen the video yesterday, and she couldn’t predict if or when she’d let go.
Sam jumped into describing the crime scene, and Kait watched him with unabashed interest. He wore a green checked shirt, his usual jeans, and boots. His hair was messed up as if he’d recently run his fingers through it in frustration. His tone was professional, and his respect for the victim shone through.
“Of course, you all know that Rhodes made the anonymous call to 911,” he said, winding down his story. “Clearly, he wanted us to know that he’s the mastermind behind the murder. Not clear is why he was carrying a green pea coat in the heat of summer.”
“Knowing Fenton, he was trying to tell us something,” Kait said.
“Could it have something to do with his Navy background?” Lee asked.
Nina shrugged. “Because his military service wasn’t related to Abby’s murder investigation, we didn’t dig into it.”
“Perhaps now’s the time to do so,” Vance suggested. “Especially if the ME’s suspicions about the drug and ventilator turn out to be true. Rhodes could have used his military connection to obtain both of them.”
“I agree that investigating Rhodes’s military career is a priority,” Sam said. “But he’s going to kill again soon, and the Navy’s red tape will tie up any request. We need info now.”
“Where was he last stationed?” Sulyard asked.
“San Diego area,” Kait replied.
Sulyard scanned the group. “Anyone have a contact at the Navy who could deliver the background information on Rhodes without making us jump through hoops? Preferably someone stationed in San Diego.”
Kait immediately thought of Quinn Stone. She looked at Nina to see if she was thinking about her former boyfriend. Her pinched mouth and scrunched forehead said her thoughts mirrored Kait’s.
“Brandt. Knight.” Sulyard stared at them. “Something you’d like to share?”
Kait fired an apologetic look at her friend for causing Sulyard to notice them.
Nina lifted her shoulder in a shrug and said, “I know a SEAL. He wouldn’t have direct access to the information we’re seeking, but he might be able to call in favors from soldiers on his base to get us what we need.”
“No,” Kait said forcefully. “We should find another way.”
Sulyard eyed her. “Care to elaborate on your reasoning?”
Kait shook her head.
Nina sat forward, her fingers going to her necklace. “It’s not something relevant to our discussion, but I do want you to know that my friend won’t likely go through official channels for this intel. He’s a SEAL after all, and he’ll use whatever methods he deems necessary to get the information, short of committing a crime.”
“Didn’t hear a word you said, Brandt,” Sulyard replied, condoning this unorthodox approach by disavowing any knowledge of it.
“Okay, then I’ll contact him as soon as we break.” Nina rubbed the turquoise and stared across the room.
Nice one, Kait. She’d put Nina in an awkward position, where she wouldn’t say no to involving Quinn because she was a team player and would take one for the team. And it was all Kait’s fault.
“Even if this SEAL is helping out.” Vance peered at his team. “We should try to track the drug and ventilator locally.”
“I’m all over that,” Yates volunteered. “I’ll request Congdon’s home phone records, too, and let you know if they produce anything concrete.”
“Fine.” Vance grabbed the marker and eyed Sulyard. “Since you went to all the trouble of creating a murder board for us, we’ll go ahead and get some assignments jotted down.” He continued to peer at Sulyard, likely waiting for him to react to his jab about the FBI team overstepping the line that had just been established.
Kait didn’t know if Sulyard meant to push the boundaries by creating the board or if he was just being thorough as usual. In either case, he didn’t react.
Vance frowned, then noted Yates’s assignment and turned back to Sam. “Get over to the mother’s apartment right after we break up and find out if Congdon was hospitalized. Even if she claims her son hasn’t had a hospital stay, Yates, I want you go ahead and check hospitals and surgery centers. We can’t be too thorough on this lead.” Yates nodded, and Vance noted the assignment on the board. “If we learn Congdon didn’t have a procedure, we’ll pursue locating a local source for the roc and vent.”
Jae shook her head, her eyes narrowed. “Here’s the thing I don’t get. Why did Rhodes wait a few days after he killed Congdon to kick off the virus and call 911? I mean, what’s the point of waiting?”
Sam shrugged. “Maybe he thought a decomposed body would better make his point.”
Adams scratched what little hair remained on his head. “Speaking of gruesome, any leads on the missing heart?”
“None,” Sam said.
“I’ve worked a few serials,” Sulyard jumped in. “And trust me, there’s a purpose for it, and his reasons will most definitely surface when Rhodes is ready for us to discov
er them.”
The tone in the room darkened again. Silence, heavy and thick, settled over the table.
“Has anyone searched ViCAP for similar cases?” Sulyard asked, moving them on.
Sam nodded. “For both the heart and the handcuffs. No hearts. Quite a few with cuffs, but they all involved beds and sexual activity. Not Rhodes’s MO at all.”
“What about the neighborhood canvass?” Sulyard asked. “Any leads there?”
Sam shook his head. “Nothing of interest, other than Congdon was a loner who worked from home and rarely went out. Yates and Adams will broaden the canvass out a block and profile the residents this afternoon. I’ll also interview the next-door neighbor who wasn’t available yesterday, but since Congdon rarely left the house, my gut says his killer is an online connection.”
“I already have Jae tracking that,” Kait added, earning both her and Jae a frown from Sulyard.
Jae fired a feisty look back at Sulyard, as if daring him to call her on working for Kait behind his back.
“What have you located, Jae?” His tone was more civil than Kait would have expected.
“I don’t have anything but Congdon’s screen name so far. RebelNinja. Can you believe it?” She shook her head. “So not appropriate for what you all are saying about this dude, but whatever. I’m following his tracks, and I’m also working on enhancing the video from the payphone to see if we can focus the plate number for the car Rhodes was driving.”
“If you can make them out, have someone call me immediately, and I’ll issue an alert for the vehicle.” Vance jotted the assignments on the board.
“Any chance Rhodes could be driving Congdon’s car?” Yates asked.
“Not likely,” Sam said. “Congdon didn’t have a driver’s license, nor is there a car registered to him, so we have no reason to believe it’s Congdon’s car.”
“Moving on to Rhodes.” Vance looked at Sulyard. “I think your team would be best equipped to look into any possible addresses and gather financial information for him.”
“We’ve already exhausted that avenue,” Sulyard said. “We’ve kept after him all these years. There hasn’t been a hint of any financial transactions tied to his social security number. Nor did we find any addresses associated with him.”
Jae’s eyes brightened. “We have alerts set everywhere. If anything pop up on the dude, we’ll be all over it. But the guy has rad hacking skills, so he’s probably stolen an identity to live under.”
Vance frowned as he surveyed the group. “So, is that it, people?”
“I’ve been working on the lack of mail at Congdon’s house,” Nina volunteered, drawing a questioning look from Sam and Sulyard. “The post office confirmed Congdon’s mail was held. The request was completed online. Now that we’re officially onboard with the case, I’ll prepare the warrant paperwork so we can see where the request originated.”
Sulyard gave her a we’ll-talk-about-this-later-look then swung his gaze to Sam. “What about employer and co-workers? Anyone talk with them?”
Sam shook his head. “With no personal records at the house, we haven’t located his employer.”
“Ah, Detective,” one of the analysts named Pete said. “He worked as tech support for MedSoft. It’s a small local company that designs medical equipment for hospitals. We got the name from his computer before it crashed yesterday.”
Vance glared at Pete. “And you didn’t feel a need to share this with us?”
Pete looked to Sulyard. “We were just following orders.”
Vance whipped his head around to stare at Sulyard. “Not my idea of teamwork.”
“Each of us has our priorities. Yesterday, mine was a computer attack launched from Congdon’s address. I’m pretty sure you didn’t give my priority a second thought yesterday either.” Vance opened his mouth, but Sulyard held up a hand. “Today is different. My priorities have changed.”
“Adams, you get to MedSoft,” Vance said, not taking his eyes off Sulyard. “Talk to his supervisor and associates. This could be where Rhodes got the portable vent. Be sure to ask about it.”
Adams nodded vigorously, sending his double chin wobbling. “Would totally bite if it turns out Congdon procured the vent that was used on him.”
“No reason to speculate about that at this point in the investigation,” Nina said, glossing over the negativity Adams left behind. “Where do you stand on trace evidence?”
“At the moment, we don’t have much,” Dane admitted reluctantly. “The scene was squeaky clean. Only recovered two hair strands that I’ve sent in for DNA processing. To be completely transparent, though, Congdon and Rhodes have similar hair coloring, so this might not lead anywhere.”
Sulyard cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I find it hard to believe this is the only evidence recovered. Perhaps a fresh look at the scene by our Evidence Recovery Team is in order.”
Dane crossed his arms, and Kait watched Vance war with letting ERT onto what was still a crime scene under his jurisdiction. She knew he was struggling with defending his territory and letting the Bureau’s team on the scene. If ERT showed up and found evidence Dane had missed, it could make Dane look bad and hurt team morale. But it could also lead to bringing Fenton to justice.
“We could send FED back out there to do a joint visit with ERT,” Sam suggested, and both supervisors shot him a look. “I’m just saying, the feds have all the cool toys, and working together on this might yield better results.”
Kait’s admiration for Sam skyrocketed. His willingness to forge a strong working relationship, despite Sulyard’s attitude, displayed his cooperative and honorable traits. He really was one of the good guys, and she would support his effort.
“He has a point,” she said, looking directly at Sulyard. “Fenton doesn’t make idle threats. He’s a killer, plain and simple. If we’re going to stop him, we need to set aside our egos and do everything we can to find him.” She paused and looked around the group. “I hope all of you will do the same thing.”
“SCORE.” FENTON pumped his latex gloved hand in the air. “I knew J.J. would meet me for a drink tonight, didn’t you, Brian?”
Fenton scanned the screen again and reread the e-mail from Jason Mason. “Listen to what he says. ‘Dude, you know I’ll meet the legendary Vyper. Anytime. Anywhere.’” Fenton peered at Brian. “I promised him the same peek at my bot program that I made to you. He can’t resist.”
Fenton slid his chair closer to Brian, the wheels rumbling on the wood floor. He leaned down. “Now, now. I can see you’re jealous. Don’t be. Your contribution to the mission will always be special to me. Remember, I put you in the scrapbook. But I have to move on before that hideous detective takes up with Kait and decides he must guard her night and day. If I can’t get to her, how am I going to let her feel the same things you’re feeling?”
Fenton pushed away and held his feet in the air as the chair zoomed across the floor to the bookshelf. He needed to shower before his meeting, but first, he’d prepare his package for Kait so when he had J.J. securely trussed up, Fenton could swing by her house to deliver her next surprise.
Since she’d foiled his first delivery attempt, he’d had time to improve his presentation. First the tissue paper. He riffled through the supplies he’d purchased yesterday.
“I think white would be good, don’t you, Brian?” He glanced at his companion of the last few days. “White will emphasize my gift.” He gently folded the paper and laid it in the bottom of the box.
He scooted back to the cooler sitting on the floor by Brian and lifted out the zipper bag with Elliot’s heart. He checked to be sure plenty of ice remained to keep it cold until he was ready to deliver his gift.
Satisfied, he looked deep into Brian’s eyes and smiled. “Now don’t be jealous, Brian. Kait will receive Elliot’s souveni
r first, but I promise you have nothing to worry about. Yours will be the very next one she gets.”
KAIT STOPPED at Nina’s cubicle. Sam had asked Kait to accompany him when he went to question Mrs. Congdon. Kait wouldn’t turn down the opportunity, but first she wanted to make sure Nina was okay with bringing Quinn in on the investigation. Nina was on the phone, so Kait dropped into the chair by the cluttered desk to wait. Nina was smooth-talking the judge’s clerk, trying to convince him to fast-track the warrant for the post office.
Kait made herself comfortable and plucked out the latest edition of Garden & Gun magazine that was peeking out of Nina’s Vera Bradley tote bag. The magazine title fit Nina to a T. As much as she loved living in Portland, she missed home, and embraced her heritage in her off hours. The three of them had often talked about taking a trip to Nina’s hometown of Mobile, but hadn’t done so. Maybe after Fenton was firmly locked behind bars, Kait would suggest it again. After all, she’d have plenty of free time that she’d been devoting to finding Fenton the last few years. She flipped through the magazine, enjoying yet another insight into her friend’s unique tastes until she ended the call.
“I’m sorry about the Quinn thing,” Kait said quickly, to preempt any objection Nina might want to raise. “If I hadn’t given you that look in the meeting, his name never would have been mentioned. I hope you’re not mad.”
Nina swiveled her chair and crossed her leg, letting a pricey red pump dangle from her foot. “Mad about what? It’s not like you volunteered me to talk to Quinn.”
“Still, I can’t help but think you’re doing this because of me.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, honey.” Nina gave Kait a sugary smile, her way of making bad news palatable. “But this has nothing to do with you. Sure, I want Rhodes caught so you can put this behind you, but I volunteered because he’s going to kill again if we don’t stop him. I couldn’t live with myself if he succeeded when I could have done something to stop it and let a silly little spat stop me.”
“This thing with Quinn is a lot bigger than a silly spat.” Kait eyed her friend, digging beyond the front she was putting on. “At least, that’s how you acted yesterday.”
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