Chapter 26 Chapter One

Katherine Dance, TJ and Jon Bolling in Dance's office.The time is 9 am.They've been here for almost two hours. Chilton deleted Travis's thread and the two images in the thread. However, Bolling had downloaded them and made a backup. You are dead. each of you. And those two photos. Especially the second one. it's me…… Jon Boleyn said, "It is possible to trace the source of the post." He made a grimace and smiled, "As long as Chilton cooperates." "Is there something in that image in Kitsar—like a number, a symbol, or a word? Is there something that could be used?"

Bolling said that most of that content is about the game, which was probably made a long time ago.Either way, even puzzle experts couldn't find a clue in the strange symbols. Others in the room deliberately avoided commenting on the second image, the one depicting a woman like Dance being assassinated. She was about to call the blogger when she got a call.She laughed out loud when she saw the caller ID, and quickly picked up the phone, "Hello, Mr. Chilton?" Boleyn looked at her with a mocking look. "I don't know if you've seen...?" "We looked. Your blog was hacked."

"The security of the server is very good. That boy is really capable." The blogger paused for a moment, then continued, "I want you to know that I want to track down the source of this hacker. He used a computer in Scandinavia I called some friends there and they knew for sure which company it was. I got the name of the company, its address, and the phone number. It’s just outside Stockholm." "Are they cooperating or not?" "Proxy services are rarely going to cooperate unless you have a search warrant. Of course, that's why people are looking for it," Chilton said.

Getting a transit warrant would be a procedural nightmare.Danse had never heard of a search warrant being served in less than two to three weeks after it was issued.Sometimes agencies abroad simply ignore it.But the search warrant is crucial. "Give me the content, and I'll try it." Chilton gave it to her. "Thank you for doing this." "there's one more thing." "What's up?" "Are you on the blog right now?" "I can log in." "Read what I posted on it a few minutes ago." She logged on. Http://www.thechiltonreport.com/html/june28.html

The first thing I saw was an apology to the readers, and Dance was surprised by the respectful tone.This is followed by the following: An Open Letter to Travis Brigham Travis, this is a personal request.Now that your name is well known, I hope you don't mind me saying that. My job is to report the news and ask questions, not get involved in the events I cover.But I can only get involved now. Travis, I beg you, this is enough trouble.Don't get yourself into more trouble.It is not too late to end this dire situation.Think about your future, think about your family.Please... call the police.Someone wants to help you.

Dance said: "Great, James, there is a possibility that Travis will contact you and turn himself in." "I've frozen this thread. No one can post on it anymore." He was silent for a moment. "That picture—too bad." Welcome to the real world, Chilton. She thanked him and hung up.She flipped to the end of the "Roadside Crosses" chain of posts, and read the latest -- and apparently the last -- of those posts.Even though some were sent from abroad, she couldn't help but wonder if they contained clues that could help her find Travis or predict his next move.But she couldn't draw conclusions from the cryptic posts.

Dance quits the blog and tells TJ and Bolling about Chilton's post. Boleyn wasn't sure it would work—the boy seemed beyond reason to him, "but we've got to hope." Dans assigns tasks; TJ sits back in his chair by the coffee table to contact the agent in Scandinavia, and Bolling retreats to his corner to check a new set of Internet addresses that might be victims Names of people – including those who aren’t just following the Wayside Crosses thread.He identified more than a dozen individuals. Charles Overby walked into Dance's office in the blue suit and white shirt that politicians usually wear.He greeted: "Catherine... Hey, Catherine, what's the matter with the kid posting threats?"

"Yes, Charles. We want to find out where he broke into the blog." "I've had six journalists call me, two of them at my house. I've turned them back, but I can't wait any longer. I have a press conference in 20 minutes. I'll tell them what?" "As long as the investigation is still ongoing. We are asking the San Benito branch to send personnel to help search. Searches have been carried out in key areas, but have not yet been searched in a large area." "Hamilton called me and he was very unhappy." It was Hamilton Royce from Sacramento, wearing a dark blue suit, rolling eyes, and ruddy.

The detective's boss, Overby, seems to have had a restless morning. "anything else?" "Chilton stopped the thread on the thread and asked Travis to turn himself in." "I mean have some technical measures been taken?" "Yes, he is helping us find the source of what the boy uploaded." "Okay. That means we're not idle." What he meant was: Is there anything prime-time TV viewers like without the same sweaty, sleazy cop job they've been doing for the last 48 hours.Dance and Boleyn looked at each other, and his eyes showed that he was also surprised by what he just said.They immediately looked away again, otherwise their eyes would meet, and surprise would turn into shock.

Overby looked at his watch. "That's it. It's my turn to climb the barrel." He walked towards the press conference. "Do you know what that expression means?" Boleyn asked her. "What barrel is that climbing? I don't know." TJ giggled, but said nothing.He smiled at Boleyn.Bolling said: "It's a joke, I can't tell it anymore. It's about horny sailors going to sea for a long time." "Thank you for not talking about it." Dance sat down on the office chair, sipping the coffee that was about to freeze, and damn it, he ate half of the donuts that someone sent.

"Is Travis—that is, Stricker—on the Internet again?" she asked Jon Boleyn. "No. No word from Irving either. But he'll tell us. I don't think he's going to sleep. He's got Red Bull in his veins." Dance called Peter Bennington of the Monterey County Police Department's Forensic Section to see if there was anything new about the evidence.The main content is as follows: So far there is a lot of evidence that Travis has committed murder, but there is no clue as to where he is hiding, except for the traces they found in the soil earlier-the location of the soil is the same as The location where the cross was found does not match.David Reinhold, a keen detective from the police department, volunteered to collect soil samples near Travis's home; the soil here was no match. In a place that boasts 15 miles of the most beautiful beaches and dunes in the state, the sand...is so important, Dance thought wryly. Although Charles Overby was able to report that the Cal Bureau of Investigation was "doing some technical work," he was confronted head-on with overwhelming questions during the press conference. The TV in Dance's office was on, and they could watch the press conference live. Dance thought Overby's brief report was accurate, except for one detail, which she did not know. "Inspector Overby," a reporter asked, "there's another cross, so what are you going to do to keep the community safe?" Overby looked like a deer in the headlights of a car. "Ahhh." TJ whispered. Surprised, Dance looked from him to Boleyn, and then to the TV screen. The reporter went on to say that she heard a report on the radio half an hour ago.Police in the Carmel area found another cross on Highway 1 near China Bay, dated today, June 28. Overby stammered and replied: "The detective in charge of this case gave me a brief report before coming here. She obviously doesn't know the specific situation." There were only two senior female agents in the Monterey branch of the Cal Bureau of Investigation.It is easy to know who this "she" refers to. Oh, Charles, you son of a bitch. She heard another reporter ask, "Inspector Overby, what do you think of the panic in this town and the whole peninsula? There are reports of homeowners shooting innocent people who inadvertently entered their yards." Overby paused for a moment, "Well, it's not good." oh bro... Dance turns off the TV.She called the Monterey County Police Department, and learned that another cross, dated today, and a bouquet of red roses had indeed been found near China Bay.The Crime Scene Investigation Unit is collecting evidence and investigating the scene. "No witnesses, Inspector Dance," added the sergeant. Dance hung up and turned to TJ, "Any news from Sweden?" TJ called the agency and left two messages.They haven't called back yet, even though it's a weekday in Stockholm and it's just after lunch. Overby burst into the office five minutes later, "Another cross? Another cross? What the hell is going on?" "I just found out myself, Charles." "How did they hear about it?" "The media? They have sources, too. They always have a way of knowing what we're doing." Overby rubbed his dark forehead, flakes fell off, "So how far have we dealt with it?" "Michael's men are working on the scene. If there is any evidence they will let us know." "If there is any evidence." "He's a teenager, Charles, not a career criminal. He's going to leave some clues where we can find out where he's hiding. It's a matter of time." "But if he puts a cross that means today he's going to kill someone." "We are contacting as many people as we can to see who is at risk." "What about the computer investigation? How's it going there?" "The company hasn't called us back yet. We're also going through the legal process to apply for a foreign warrant," TJ said. The director smiled wryly, "That's good. Where is that agency?" "In Sweden." "They're easier to deal with than the Bulgarians," Overby said, "but it'll take a month for them to hear back from you. Send the request with our assessment of the case, but don't waste your time on it .” "Yes, sir." Overby rushed out, pulling his phone from his pocket. Dance grabbed the phone and called Ray Caraño and Albert Stempel, telling them to come to her office.When they arrived, she announced, "I'm tired of being here and just parrying and not fighting back. I want to pick five or six victims who are most likely to be attacked — the ones who posted the most nasty things about Travie. We're going to get them out of the area and put surveillance around their houses or apartments. He's got his next target figured out and I want him to show up Give him a blow to him. Let's do it."