Stone Cold Heart (Tracers #13)(45)

“Okay. So?”

“So I’ve been looking into the original two accounts, and a few things stand out. First, both accounts were created last Sunday morning.” Alex leveled a look at her. “Think about that timing.”

Sara thought back to Sunday. She’d spent Saturday night at the motel and gotten up early to meet Nolan at the park.

“What time Sunday morning?” she asked Alex.

“Shortly after eight. Both accounts.”

Alex turned her computer to face Sara, showing her an account of someone named Goldilocks432. She opened another screen showing a second account, WondrGurl. No photo images on either account—only a generic silhouette.

“You’re saying these accounts didn’t exist before then?”

“That’s what I’m saying. And this video is the only thing that was posted to them. In other words, they seem to have been set up for the express purpose of spreading this video. And then—even more peculiar—these two accounts were deleted.”

“When?”

“Two days after the first video went up.”

“Then how do you still have this?”

“I was tipped off before then and started my investigating, so I archived everything. You can’t totally erase your tracks. There are still digital footprints.”

Sara shook her head. “Don’t you have to have followers to get people to see you?”

“Right. But there are some ways around that,” Alex said. “For example, you can post things elsewhere that drive people to find you and look at your post, which is probably what happened here. And then, once other people start spreading the images on multiple platforms, it can take off.”

Sara stared at the screenshot, a bird’s-eye view of her team’s dig site. The actual video footage was worse—a thirty-second clip that ended with a close-up view of the decomposed skull, complete with flesh and tufts of hair.

“I really hate that this video is out there,” Sara said. “Can you imagine if this was your daughter? It’s such a violation of this family’s privacy, and they’ve already suffered a terrible loss.”

“I know.”

“And the way the camera closes in on her . . . it’s almost voyeuristic.”

“It is voyeuristic,” Alex said. “And that’s part of the reason I’m here. Whoever did this is sick, and he’s getting off on this kind of attention.”

Sara frowned. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, look at the timing. He knew about the excavation very early. Indicating he’d heard about it through the rumor mill versus the news, meaning he’s probably local. And his purpose seems to be drawing attention, in particular, media attention, to this murder. And he went to a lot of trouble to cover his digital tracks.”

“You’re saying . . . you think he might be the killer?”

“Hey, I’m not a profiler,” Alex said. “I’m just saying it’s possible. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to Mark in cybercrimes.”

Sara looked at the screen. “I will. I’m seeing him this afternoon, actually. I’ve got a meeting with him and the detectives from Springville to go over what we know so far.”

Alex lifted an eyebrow. “By ‘Springville detectives,’ I assume you mean Nolan Hess?”

“That’s right. Nolan mentioned he knows you.” Sara tried to keep her tone neutral, but she could see Alex’s smirk. “What?”

“How is Nolan? I haven’t talked to him in a while.”

Sara’s mind flashed to Nolan’s intent brown eyes the moment before he kissed her.

“I don’t know. Fine, I guess. Although I’m sure he’s stressed by everything happening in his jurisdiction.”

Alex studied her face, no doubt looking for more. “Nolan’s a good guy,” she said. “One of my favorite people, actually.”

Sara nodded. “He seems nice.”

“Nice? That’s it?” Alex grinned.

“Okay, he’s hot, too.” She smiled as she felt her cheeks reddening. “What do you want me to say?”

“You don’t have to say anything.” She closed her laptop, still grinning. “I think the look on your face says it all.”

? ? ?

Nolan surveyed the tall white columns as he mounted the Delphi Center’s front steps. The building was bigger and more imposing than he’d expected, and he felt like he was entering the Supreme Court. He’d thought the place would be clearing out by Friday afternoon, but the lobby was busy with Delphi employees, as well as law-enforcement types like himself. Nolan went straight to the front desk, where he’d been told to get a visitor’s badge.

“Nolan Hess,” he said, showing his ID.

As the receptionist looked him up on the computer, he caught sight of Sara crossing the lobby. The last time he’d seen her, she was in dirty coveralls, standing in the center of a chaotic excavation site and dispensing orders to her team. She looked a lot more composed today in a crisp lab coat with her name embroidered on the front pocket.

She stopped in front of him. “Thanks for coming, Detective.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Detective?”

She turned to the receptionist. “Could I get a visitor’s badge, please?” She glanced at Nolan. “Isn’t Talia coming?”