Deadly Cross (Alex Cross #28)(40)

John hugged me weakly before he got in the car. “Thank you for what you said about her, Alex. So many of her friends told me you got her just right.”

“It was a privilege to talk about Billie,” I said.

After they drove off, Ned said, “I’ve never seen John look like that.”

“Broken,” I said, grieving for him now as well as his wife. “And it’s going to take him a long time to put himself back together, to start believing again.”

“I have the feeling it will start with Willow,” Mahoney said.

I glanced over at Ned, reappraising him. I’d known the FBI agent for almost twenty years and he continued to surprise me with his instincts. “I think you’re right,” I said.

“Are you going to Randall Christopher’s funeral this afternoon?”

“With Jannie,” I said. “She’s friends with the daughters.”

His phone rang. He answered, listened, said, “Reconnect us on a conference call with Dr. Cross.”

Mahoney hung up, said, “Rawlins says he has something for us.”

Our phones rang at the same time and we answered.

Keith Karl Rawlins, the brilliant computer scientist under contract to the FBI’s cybercrimes unit, said, “Dr. Cross?”

“Right here,” I said. “What have you got?”

“I know the wife is being charged, but the executor of Kay Willingham’s estate gave me access to her known iCloud accounts and passwords and files. And Randall Christopher’s attorney got me into his iCloud accounts and files as well. I’ll be sending you each a link and a password that will give you access to both if you think it’s necessary.”

“That would be a big help,” Mahoney said.

I said, “Anything jump out at you, Keith?”

“As a matter of fact, yeah,” he said. “I ran histories and searched in both clouds, and neither one mentions the other in any of their computer files, e-mails, or web accounts. I believe they were both using VPN services and a software system called Tor to give themselves a cloak of anonymity in most of their interpersonal communications.”

“I thought anonymity on the internet was impossible.”

“That’s what we like to tell people,” Rawlins said. “But Tor is a heavily encrypted privacy system that uses onion technology to send any message or e-mail or internet command through multiple servers around the world, which makes tracking virtually impossible. Tor had noble beginnings. It was designed for activists and internet users to avoid surveillance and get around censorship. It has also been used by women to escape violent relationships. But at the same time, it has become a notorious way to access the dark web without leaving a trace.”

“And you think Kay Willingham and Randall Christopher were communicating through this Tor system?” Mahoney said.

“I strongly suspect that, yes, but not always,” Rawlins said. “A few times they broke the silence and communicated by text, the most recent one from Christopher to Kay the day before they died. Quote: ‘You won’t believe what I’m onto. If I’m right, big, big boost in profile. Can’t wait to see you tonight.’ ”

“A big boost in profile,” Mahoney said. “Did she reply?”

“Yes, with an emoji blowing him a kiss.”

You won’t believe what I’m onto.

Though I wondered about what Christopher had been onto, I couldn’t let go of the fact they both seemed to have been using the dark web. I asked, “What was the motivation for them to use Tor? I mean, there had to be a reason that they would want to use heavily encrypted methods of communicating in the first place.”

The computer scientist was quiet, then said, “I see where you’re going. One or both of them might have believed that they were under electronic surveillance.”

“Were they?” Mahoney asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Rawlins replied.

“Not that I’m aware of. But who knows? I’ll have to contact the NSA.”

I said, “Can’t you tell from the cloud accounts, Keith? Wouldn’t there be digital markers somewhere that would suggest they were under surveillance and, if so, by who?”

Rawlins said, “I can look, but if there is, don’t be surprised if I set off some alarms.”

“I look forward to that, actually. It’s about time we shake some trees, see what falls out.”





CHAPTER 45





BREE HAD WORN HER DRESS blues for Billie’s funeral and did not have a chance to change before she followed Chief Michaels into Commissioner Dennison’s office.

Dennison sipped from a cup of coffee and then stood to greet them. “I appreciate this,” he said, gesturing to the chairs. “How was Detective Sampson’s wife’s memorial?”

“Touching,” Bree said. “Thank you for asking, Commissioner.”

Chief Michaels nodded. “Billie was an exceptional person.”

“Again, I am sorry to hear that she passed,” the commissioner said, sitting back down and then looking at Bree. “So, Chief Stone, how do we anticipate the next shooting?”

Bree had spent the better part of the prior evening going over the investigative files and the news reports about the “Shoot the Rich shootings,” as they were being called in the local media. She’d given the matter a lot of thought before and after Billie’s funeral. “The shootings do appear to be escalating,” she said. “They started almost as a scare tactic and then ramped up from there to Mr. Peggliazo’s wounding to the shooting of Congresswoman McKenna. I think we can anticipate the shooter or shooters will try to up their game again, raise the stakes.”