Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
“Do you remember,” Fletch began, “how the picture file was encrypted differently than Denny’s other files?”
Michelle was having difficulty focusing. “Encrypted? Yes. The other files were coded with only number sequences. The picture file had numbers, symbols, and letters.”
Fletch’s smile bloomed and his dark eyes shone. “Further analysis determined the reason. The picture file wasn’t Denny’s.”
She stopped walking. “Wasn’t Dad’s…how do you know?”
“Come on.” He hitched his jaw and quickened his step.
Michelle was a step behind Fletch as they entered the lab. Leo was sitting at the computer where they’d opened the horrible pictures. The pictures were gone and in their place were rows and rows of codes, multiplying exponentially. “What’s happening?”
Leo turned with a smile as large as Fletch’s. “Chell, those photos weren’t taken by Denny. He may not have even realized he had them.”
“I don’t understand. They were on the hard drive you made from Dad’s computers.”
“They were on the hard drive. I copied that folder from his computers, but when Arrow started talking about the different encryption, it made me wonder why it would be different. If you know this, stop me.”
Michelle took the chair next to Leo. “I’m so out of my league right now. Please explain.”
“That’s how you found the file,” Leo said. “You didn’t know what you were looking for.”
“I thought we were looking at everything.”
“Yes,” Fletch said. “Honestly, with the different coding, I would’ve probably overlooked that file unless I noticed the size. The point is that you didn’t overlook it.”
“All files have invisible extensions,” Leo said. “It’s a defining sequence that carries additional information. Denny’s file extensions were similar to each other because they came from the same computers, the same VPNs, the same geolocation.”
Michelle nodded. “I’m following. You’re saying the picture file had different extensions.”
“Yes.” Leo looked up at the screen. “We’re about to find out where the file came from.”
“How would it be on Dad’s computer?”
Fletch answered. “I have a theory. A couple of weeks or so before Denny was killed, he intercepted a transmission. He believed it was between Sheriff Perkins and Patrick Lehman.”
“Am I supposed to know who that is?” Michelle asked.
“A Massachusetts senator.”
Her eyes widened. “The network, like Crossroads.”
“I fucking hope so,” Fletch said.
Leo spoke, looking up at the screen. “The file has been rerouted through multiple VPNs. I hope the code hasn’t been severed.”
Michelle wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded bad.
The three continued to wait. The tension rippled through the air in invisible waves.
Finally, the program stopped.
The code was cracked.
Leo began to type. The click of the keys echoed through the lab. “Fuck.”
“What?” Michelle and Fletch asked in unison.
The screen filled with a satellite image. They zoomed in on the house. It was more like a compound with a massive house in the middle flanked by a large swimming pool, tennis courts, and manicured lawns.
“Where is that?” Fletch asked.
“East Texas. Old-money country.”
“No fucking way.”
“Who?” Michelle asked.
“Arron Nelson,” Leo said with a grin.
“Oh my God,” she said. “He has the money to fund a network, right?”
Leo pushed back from the desk. “We need to go to Texas. We can’t be sure until we physically check his network. If we can prove this is correct, we get Nelson and all the people under him, including Patrick Lehman.”
“Wait,” Michelle said. “Isn’t this enough? You can’t go to his house. He’s not going to just let you in.”
Fletch’s lips curled into a grin. “We don’t knock on the door.”
“You’re going to break into the home of one of the wealthiest men in the world. That doesn’t sound safe or smart.”
“We only need to confirm his network’s extensions,” Leo said. “His system is well protected. We need to be in close proximity.”
Michelle reached for Fletch’s hands, the fears of the past few weeks surfacing. “Please don’t go.”
“Leo and I have pulled off more dangerous jobs. This will be a quick trip.”
“Are you going now?”
“We’ll coordinate with Peterson,” Fletch said. “I’ve been wanting evidence on Nelson since Crossroads. We’re so damn close.” He smiled at Michelle. “Because of you and Denny.”
Satisfaction bloomed in her chest. It felt better than the doubt she’d had earlier. “My father didn’t take those pictures.”
“I doubt Nelson took them. He must have them sent to him after each abduction,” Leo said. “Let’s take this to Peterson.”