Hurriedly, Connor called the office, and instructed them to get the APB out as urgently as possible.
Then, he returned his focus to the screen. Feeling as impatient as he now looked, Cami hurried around to peer at it and learn more about this suspect.
There was Francois’s ID pic. He looked to be in his thirties—which a moment later, his date of birth confirmed. He was thirty-two.
“He works in IT,” Cami said, surprised, as that information flashed up. “That would have allowed him to track those IP addresses. So, that’s a definite connection. I see he’s a programmer who’s currently freelancing.”
“Yes. If he’s in that industry, it makes sense that he would have had that knowledge,” Connor agreed.
Cami felt filled with excitement. The suspect they needed could be here. Right here. Now all they needed to know was where he was. Where was he driving now in that sleek, black car? Having out of state plates would at least make him easier to spot.
She wished she could tune in to his mind. But in a way, Cami guessed she’d already been trying to do that. She’d been doing her best to think like the killer, and by doing so, they’d uncovered this suspect.
If he was trawling for new victims, he might be out and about now. She imagined him, driving up and down the road where his research took him next, using whatever software and intelligence he had available to narrow down the location of the next woman he planned to kill.
That was a very scary thought, especially seeing all they could do now was sit here. As of a few minutes ago, every police officer was now apprised of the number plate and knew that it was urgent. But if he wasn’t on the move at all, the plate wouldn’t be spotted. So many factors had to coincide. He had to be out on the road, in view of a police vehicle, or else recorded by a police camera that was monitored and checked.
Cami wished it didn’t feel so much like hunting a needle in a haystack.
She returned to her chair, sipping on her coffee, watching her program at work as it sorted through the footage. Perhaps they would get other hits. This was their first, and also the most recent comparison, but the program was working back through the footage and there might be others. She tried to curb her impatience. She didn’t want to wait for others. She wanted to go out, now, and hunt for this suspect. She wanted to know why Francois Leeming had driven all the way from Virginia, to spend the last few days right here in Boston, with footage recorded near two of the victims’ homes so far.
And then, Connor’s phone range. He drew in his breath triumphantly.
“There’s a hit on the vehicle. A security roadblock just outside town said it appeared on their footage ten minutes ago, on the highway into downtown. Let’s get moving. I’m going to ask for all available cars in the area to join us. He’s on that road and moving into town. If we’re fast, we might be able to find him.”