Plainclothes agents are canvassing the streets as we speak, Agent Locke told us, masquerading as volunteers, handing out flyers, and looking for people who might have information about Genevieves disappearance.
Dean leaned back against the wall. But youre really just making a list of the people who approach the agents?
Locke nodded. Got it in one. Im even patching a video feed through to Michael and Lia back at the house so they can analyze anyone who approaches.
Apparently, Locke wasnt above taking advantage of the directors authorization to involve Naturals in this case.
She pushed a strand of stray hair out of her face. Cassie, we need you to make a few more appearances outside. Id have you handing out flyers if I thought we could get away with it, but even Im not willing to push Briggs that far.
I tried to put myself in the UNSUBs shoes. Hed wanted me out of the house; I was out of the house. Hed wanted me involved in this case; now I was standing in the middle of the crime scene.
Have you seen everything you need to see here? Agent Locke asked me.
I glanced over at Dean, who was still keeping his distance.
You wanted me involved in this case .
You do everything for a reason .
The reason you took this girl is me .
No. I didnt explain myself to Agent Locke. I didnt have an explanation. But I knew in my gut that we couldnt leave yet. If this was part of the UNSUBs plan, if the UNSUB had wanted me to come here
Were missing something.
Something the UNSUB would have expected me to see. Something I was supposed to find, something that was supposed to hold meaning for me.
Slowly, I turned around, taking in the three-sixty view once more. I looked under the sink. I ran my fingers gingerly along the edges of the broken mirror.
Nothing.
Methodically, I raked my eyes over the graffiti on the walls. Initials and hearts, curse words and slurs, doodles, song lyrics
There. A single line of text caught my eye. At first, I didnt even read the words. All I saw were the letters: not quite cursive and not quite print, the same hyperstylized handwriting as on the cards that came with each black box.
FOR A GOOD TIME
The sentence cut off there. Frantically, I ran my finger over the wall, sorting through text, looking for that handwriting to pick up again.
CALL 567-3524. GUARANTEED
A phone number. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to keep going: up and down the walls of the bathroom, looking for another line.
Another clue.
I found it near the mirror.
PLUS ONE. KOLA AND THORN .
Kola and Thorn? The more I read,
the more the UNSUBs message sounded like gibberish.
Cassie? Agent Locke cleared her throat. I ignored her. There had to be more. I started at the top and went through all of the graffiti again. Once I was sure there was nothing else, I walked out of the bathroom to get some air. Locke, Dean, and Sloane had been joined by Agent Briggs.
We need you to make another appearance outside, Cassie. Agent Briggs clearly considered that an order.
The UNSUBs not there, I told them.
The FBI thought that by bringing me here, theyd been laying a trap for my killer, but they were wrong. The UNSUB was the one laying a trap for us.
I need a pen, I said.
After several seconds, Briggs gave me a pen.
Paper?
He removed a notebook from his lapel pocket and handed it to me.
The UNSUB left us a message, I said, but what I really meant was that hed left me a message.
I scrawled the words onto the page, then handed it to Briggs.
For a good time, call 567-3524. Guaranteed plus one. Kola and Thorn . Briggs lifted his eyes from the page to meet mine. Youre sure this is from the UNSUB?
It matches the cards, I told him. The way my name had looked in the killers script was burned into my mind. Im sure.
To them, the cards were evidence. But to me, they were personal. Without even thinking about it, I reached for my cell phone.
What are you doing? Dean asked me.
I pressed my lips into a firm line. Calling the number.
Nobody stopped me.
Im sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service. Please try your call again later .
I hung up, looked down at the floor, then shook my head.
No area code, Sloane said. Are we thinking DC? Virginia? Maryland? Thats eleven possible area codes within a hundred-mile radius.
Starmans. Agent Briggs was on his cell phone immediately. Im going to read you a telephone number. I need you to try it with every area code within a three-hour driving distance of this location.
Can I see your phone, Cassie? Sloanes request distracted me from Briggss conversation. Unsure why she wanted it, I handed her my phone. She stared at it for a minute, her lips moving rapidly, but no sounds coming out. Finally she looked up. Its not a phone numberor at least, not one youre supposed to call.
I waited for an explanation. She obliged.
567-3524. On a telephone, five, six, three, two, and four each correspond to three letters on the keypad. Seven is a four-letter number: P , Q , R , and S . Thats two thousand nine hundred and sixteen possible seven-letter combinations for 567-3524.