Double Cross

Chapter 50

PLUS, DCAK HAD USED HER NAME.

Bree finally sat back in her chair and tried to process that little nugget. She couldn’t believe how brazen and arrogant this prick was, and how completely messed up. And scary.

“Bree? You still there?” Brian Kitzmiller asked over the phone.

“Yeah. I’m here. Just having a depressed-cop moment. That was pretty neat, all right.”

“You okay? Other than the obvious?”

She focused on her hands, which were shaking only a little bit. “Yeah, Kitz. Thanks for asking. It’s creepy, but it makes sense to me. He’s probably a total junkie for his own coverage. Of course he knows who I am. And of course he knows about Alex. He’s watching us, Kitz.”

“In one way, that’s good news, isn’t it? We wanted to make sure we were in the same communication stream as the killer. I think we’re there.”

“Ya think?” Bree’s mind was racing with all kinds of questions. “When was this posted?”

“Eleven twenty last night. It’s already burning up the chat rooms. It’s everywhere, and I mean everywhere.”

“That might explain these calls.” She picked up the stack of pink message slips already in her in-box. The top one was from Channel Seven news. “Listen, I need a name to work with. Something solid. Whose site is this?”

“Still working on that. I’ve got an IP address, and I’m checking all the major registries. With any luck, I’ll have a name for you soon. Operative word-luck.”

“I hear you. Soon is good, though. Thanks, Kitz. We need you on this one.”

“Yeah, I agree. You definitely do. I wonder who he ‘models’ himself after? You got any ideas?”

“No, but I bet Alex will.”

Bree hung up, then tried Alex and Sampson. She reached voice mail for both of them and left the same message: “Hey, it’s me. Something just came up. Another posted message from our Audience Killer, now signing off with the shortened form ‘DCAK.’ I’m moving on it as soon as I have an address. I hope one of you will get this before then, but I’m lining up a backup unit in the meantime. Call me ASAP.”

Bree knew she’d work better with her partners than with a couple of uniformed cops, but the second she had a name and address, it would be go time.

DCAK wanted to know her better-well, he just might get his wish soon.