The image disappeared, revealing the e-mail inbox again.

Sebeck didn't move for several moments. When he finally did, it was to forward the message to his sheriff's e-mail address.

Chapter 8:// Escalation

"Mr. Ross, help us understand this: You have no permanent address, and yet you've got nearly three hundred thousand dollars in liquid assets. Am I to believe you live with your parents?"

Jon Ross rubbed his tired eyes and tried to concentrate on the question-the same question they'd asked twenty different ways. The one they kept coming back to.

The taller FBI agent leaned in close. "Mr. Ross?"

"I'm a contract nomad. Ancient people followed caribou. I follow software contracts."

The shorter agent stood next to a mirrored window and flipped through his notes. "You've been at Alcyone Insurance for what, two months now? Is that a long time for you?"

"Not particularly. Three or four is typical."

"Your clients give us various physical addresses for your business. Kind of strange for a one-man corporation, isn't it?"

Ross ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You contacted my clients? Are you trying to destroy my business?"

"Why are you concealing information from your clients?"

"I maintain contact addresses legally through resident agents in several states. This is legal commerce. Why are you guys doing this to me? I was trying to help Hadi."

"That doesn't explain why you have a phony personal address."

Ross sighed. "I had the fake address because society requires everyone to have a permanent home address."

"Then why don't you have one?"

"Because I don't need one."

Both agents were pacing again. The shorter one was the first to speak. "Single. No property. Do you pay all your taxes, Mr. Ross?"

"I'm a Delaware service corporation. I pay myself a reasonable salary, max out my 401(k), and take the remainder as corporate profits-minus travel and business expenses. And the corporation leases my car." He hesitated. "Look, I didn't do anything wrong. I was trying to help my client."

The phone in the center of the table rang. The shorter agent grabbed it without saying a word. He listened. After a few moments he nodded slightly and looked at Ross with some surprise. "Understood." A pause. "Yes."

He hung up. "It looks like you're off the hook, Mr. Ross."

Neal Decker and three other FBI agents sat in the darkened training room of the Ventura County Sheriff's headquarters intently watching a screen projection of Sobol's MPEG video. Sebeck, Mantz, Burkow, and Ventura County's assistant chief, Stan Eichhorn, watched alongside them. Aaron Larson ran the video off a laptop hooked to the department's digital projector.

Sobol's grainy image glowed on-screen."…I want to take this moment to wish you luck, Sergeant-because you're going to need it."

The image froze, and Sobol's audience whistled and broke out into raucous discussion. Larson brought up the lights, revealing Agent Decker staring intently at the blank screen. He finally came around and stepped to the front of the room.

"Gentlemen, this changes things." Decker looked to Agent Straub. "When does the computer forensics team get in, Tom?"

"They're already en route from Oxnard Airport."

"Get them over to CyberStorm as soon as they arrive. Where are the Alcyone Insurance computers?"

"Put on a plane to D.C. last night."

"Good. Hopefully they'll get something off the drives. In the meantime, have the forensics team comb through the CyberStorm network. I want it sniffed for booby traps, and then we need to shift our focus to Matthew Sobol." He pointed to the projector. "Get forensics a copy of this video file."

Larson perked up. "I burned copies onto CD. I can make more if you need them."

Decker held up his hands. "That brings up an important point. I want absolute secrecy concerning this case." He looked to the local police. "That means no talking to friends and relatives, and absolutely no talking to the media. We need to control what information gets out there."

Sebeck pointed at the screen. "Has anyone heard of this Sobol guy?"

Decker didn't say anything. He just fished through folders on a nearby tabletop and then slid a folder over to Sebeck. It was labeled MATTHEW ANDREW SOBOL.

"What, you already knew about him?"

"Died Thursday. We thought he might be another victim, but he died of brain cancer. He's been ill for years. He was a company founder. Had access to everything. It all fits. Except for the motive."

Straub picked up from there. They were like an old married couple. "His assistant said Sobol suffered from dementia. He was paranoid and secretive. It got worse as his illness progressed. He finally had to stop working last year."

Sebeck flipped through the folder. It was filled with medical files and psychology reports. "Did he have the know-how to build that booby trap over at CyberStorm?"

Decker and Straub exchanged knowing glances. Decker took the folder back. "Sobol scored 220 on an IQ test in 1993. The NSA tried to recruit him out of Stanford for his dissertation on polymorphic data encryption. Instead he started a game company and made millions by his early twenties. He was plenty capable."

Sebeck knew he could either accept it or say something. He pondered it for several more moments before he decided to make an ass of himself by speaking up. "What about the phone call from that fictitious FBI agent? There's someone else involved in this."

"We've got good technical people, Sergeant. Let's see what they find. But I'll need wiretaps on your cell, office, and home phones." He turned to Straub. "Let's also get Sebeck's ISP to forward all incoming e-mail to the forensics unit. Sergeant, can I expect your cooperation?"

Sebeck nodded. "Yeah. Let me tell my wife and kid, but yes, of course."

Straub wrote on a small notepad. "I'll need your signature on some paperwork."

Sebeck drummed his fingers on the table impatiently. "Look, I don't doubt that this Sobol guy was brilliant, but I'm not convinced that that grainy video is Matthew Sobol. If he was such a genius, he sure as hell could take a clearer video than that. I can't even make out his face all that well."

A murmur of agreement swept through the room.

Decker was unperturbed. "We'll have it analyzed by experts."

Sebeck still pushed. "I think a CyberStorm employee is committing these murders and trying to pin it on this dead guy. The killer obviously has access to CyberStorm's network, and from what I've seen at CyberStorm, they've got a lot of clever people. I think this is a setup."

"You and I are not technical experts, Sergeant. Let's see what the forensics team finds." Decker looked at the assembled officers. "Okay, listen up. We've got to get our hands on more facts. Chief Eichhorn, I'm going to need your cooperation and some of your resources."

Eichhorn nodded. "Anything you need."

"Matthew Sobol had an eighty-acre estate near here. We should have the search warrant in an hour or so. I'm going to need traffic and perimeter control."

Larson was still absorbing the first sentence. " Eighty acres?"

Decker nodded. "Yes. Our Mr. Sobol had considerable assets. A net worth of around three hundred million."

Whistles all around.

"Detective Sebeck might be right; this case might involve others, but we'll need to follow up on the Sobol lead. Vasquez, I need to know about any disagreements or professional rivalries Sobol might have had with the two victims. I want more detailed interviews with the victims' families. I also need to know anyone else who might have had a run-in with Sobol. Let's get someone at NCAMD to do a work-up on him. Straub, I want you over at CyberStorm with the forensics team. Keep me apprised of any new information."