“That technology doesn’t exist. Try again.”
He blew out his cheeks. “We know that two of the victims were out shopping before they were abducted. Baye was also at a mall. All she had in her possession were her car keys, and a cell phone. Dexter used the signal on Baye’s phone to track her down. It’s the only logical explanation.”
“And he did this by sending Baye an email.”
“I know it’s flimsy, but how else could he know her location?”
“I don’t know. Now, put on your seat belt.”
Instead of complying, he continued talking. “Yesterday you told me about a company in Tampa called Phantom Communications that manufactured the encrypted cell phone that my brother had. You said that they might be connected to this. Maybe they’ve developed a technology to track cell phones using emails.”
“Maybe they have. But right now, they’re off limits.”
“I thought you were getting a search warrant and were going to raid the place.”
“The judge turned us down. We didn’t show sufficient probable cause.”
“But they’re connected to this. They have to be.”
“I’m sorry, Jon, but we lost in court. Now, would you put your seat belt on?”
Without a word, he opened his door and climbed out. He walked back toward the entrance of the mall and got in the shade before pulling up an app on his cell phone. Daniels pulled the car around to the entrance and rolled down her window.
“What are you doing?” she said angrily.
“Calling an Uber,” he said. “You and I need to part ways.”
The words stung, and for a moment she couldn’t reply.
“You’re ditching me?” she said.
“Afraid so,” he replied.
“And exactly why are you doing that?”
“Because I’m not going to let a stupid judge stop me from visiting Phantom Communications and finding out how Dexter is doing this. And since this involves breaking the law, I assumed you won’t want to come.”
“What are you going to do, shove a gun in someone’s face?”
“What do I look like, a thug?”
“Then what?”
“Let’s just say that I’m going to pull a ruse that I’ve used before. It’s a great way to get people to open up, and talk.”
“What if your ruse backfires? You could get arrested and go to jail.”
“It hasn’t failed me so far.” He looked at the screen on his cell phone. “My ride is two minutes away. I’ll let you know how things turn out.”
She threw the vehicle into drive and pulled out with a squeal of rubber. Her journey lasted less than a hundred yards. Hitting the brakes hard, she went into reverse, and returned to her original spot, glaring at him through her open window.
“Get in the car. I’m going with you,” she said.
“But I’m going to break the law.”
“I heard you the first time. Get in the damn car, before I change my mind.”
She nearly hit his Uber driver on the way out of the parking lot.
Chapter 32
Daniels made record time to his hotel. Going to his car, he popped the trunk, and from a metal strongbox removed two phony search warrants, each of which had the words UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT/CENTRAL DISTRICT OF FLORIDA printed across the top, along with an official seal.
He’d first read about the use of fake documentation in a newspaper article. The New Orleans DA’s office had been caught issuing fake subpoenas to a witness in a murder trial in an effort to subvert his testimony. The article had gotten him thinking what a great tool this would be when dealing with a witness who refused to cooperate.
He got back into Daniels’s vehicle and, using his cell phone, found the address for Phantom Communications. He placed one of the search warrants on the dashboard and filled it out with a ballpoint pen.
“For the love of Christ, where did you get those?” Daniels asked.
“Off the internet,” he said.
“Be serious.”
“I am being serious. There are online companies that generate fake documents for a fee. You can buy search warrants, subpoenas, even deportation notices. For a few extra bucks, they’ll customize them. They’re a great negotiating tool.”
“Sounds like you’ve used them before.”
“Only once. A twelve-year-old girl went missing. Her neighbor was the last to see her, but he wouldn’t talk to me. I decided to gamble, and went to his place with a fake search warrant. He let me in, and there was a marijuana tree growing in the living room. I made a deal with him. I’d give him a pass on the tree if he opened up about the girl.”
“Did he?”
“Yes. The neighbor said that he thought the stepfather was molesting the girl. I tipped off the police, and they searched the property. They found the girl locked up in a toolshed.”
“You broke all sorts of laws doing that.”
“Her family sent me a crystal paperweight with a thank-you note. It sits on the desk in my study. I’ll show it to you the next time you come over.”
“It was still wrong.”
“You can pull out, I won’t hold it against you.”
“Not on your life. Get me directions off your phone.”
Soon they were on familiar roads, heading to Tampa. When he was finished with the warrant, he checked his spelling, and caught a mistake. The company was on North Rocky Point Drive, only he’d spelled it Pinte. He tore up the document and started over.
“Is that why you brought two? In case you made a mistake?” Daniels asked.
“Yeah. When I was a SEAL, we sometimes used fake documents inside foreign countries. One time in Libya, our commanding officer made a mistake on a form, and had to abort the mission.”
“So now you always bring two.”
“Always.”
Phantom Communications was located in a sleek office building called The Pointe. True to its name, the building jutted out on a narrow landfill that overlooked the Gulf of Mexico’s sparkling waters. The guard at the reception desk was reading a section of the paper that contained the day’s races at Tampa Bay Downs.
“What can I do for you?” the guard asked.
Daniels placed her wallet on the desk. The guard took his job seriously, and studied her badge and photo ID. Satisfied, he slid the wallet back to her.
“Sorry, but I’ve never met an FBI agent before,” he said.
“No need to apologize,” she said. “We’re here to see a company called Phantom Communications. I need to know which floor they’re on.”
The guard flipped through the three-ring binder on his desk. “Phantom is on the eighth floor, suite #812C. I need to let them know you’re coming.”
“I’d prefer that you not do that.”
“Our insurance company requires it. Otherwise, I’ll get in trouble.”
She took the search warrant out of Lancaster’s hand and waved it in the guard’s face. “We need to search their offices. If you tell them we’re here, they may destroy important information. There are lives at stake here. Am I making myself clear?”
The guard’s face reddened, and he nodded.
“I didn’t hear you,” Daniels said.
“Crystal clear. I won’t call them.”
“Good answer. Do you know how many people work there? I’d like to know what I’m dealing with before we serve them.”
“I honestly don’t,” the guard replied. “The C suites are pretty small. I can’t imagine there are more than a couple of people working there.”
Daniels rapped the counter in appreciation. They took an elevator to the eighth floor and walked down a carpeted hallway to the very last door.
“Let me do the talking,” she said.