‘This app is third-party encrypted, which means you’re shit out of luck.’
She didn't know what it meant, but it didn't sound good.'And in English?'
‘It’s encrypted… by a third party.It means the app developers outsource their encryption to a specialist company.’
Amelia's tone was matter-of-fact, but the implication was clear: this could be a dead end.
Ella fought against the frustration and stayed focused.She’d find a way into Scarecrow, even if it took weeks.‘So, you can’t break in?’
'I could, but both you and I would end up unemployed and probably in jail.Not to mention it's not something you can do in a few clicks.Third-party encryptions have layers of security protocols in place.It would take ages, if it was even possible at all.'
Time was ticking, and each moment they spent hitting walls could mean the difference between catching the killer and another victim.‘There's got to be a way.Can't we request the data from the company?’
‘Legal channels, warrants, bureaucracy.And that’s assuming the company would even cooperate.How do you think they’d react to their brand being associated with a serial killer?We might be able to have a clearer look at the surface data, but anything deeper will probably be out of reach.’
‘Surface data.I’ll take that.’
‘You say this is an app for phobias?’
‘Yeah.It gives users advice, motivational quotes, that kind of stuff.And it connects users with local therapists, which is what I’m interested in.’
‘Why?’
‘Because my unsub might be using this app to find his victims.’
Ella sat back and watched Amelia remotely violate her laptop.Lines of data began cascading like a digital waterfall.Ella watched, tried to keep up, but failed miserably.
‘Your recent victim is quite active on here, judging by her user logs.She logged in at least once daily, usually around eight PM, and has done so for the past two months.’
Ella clenched her fist in triumph, feeling like she’d taken one more step.‘And can you see who she was talking to?Any chat logs?’
‘Hold on, I'm getting to that part.’
The thought of finally putting a name or face to this unsub sent a jolt of electricity down Ella’s spine, yet she braced herself for disappointment.So far, every lead had slipped through her fingers like sand.
‘Uh, Ella, you’re not going to like this.’
Ella’s heart sank.‘What?’
‘It looks like she's been pretty thorough with her digital hygiene,’ Amelia explained.She circled something with her cursor.‘See here?Most of her chat logs are gone.Deleted.There's barely anything left in her message history.’
Her frustration simmered and threatening to bubble over.‘Why would she delete her conversations?What was she hiding?’she murmured, more to herself than to Amelia.
‘That’s your area.Her deleted files might still be somewhere in the master database, but that’s where the encryption comes in.Only the encryption company and devs would have access to that.’
Ella planted her forehead on the table.‘Okay, so Rebecca’s chat logs are out of the question,’ she said into the wood, the warmth of her breath blowing back on her face.
‘Right now.If you leave it with me, I can try and request access to the deleted files, but don’t ask me for a timescale.’
Ella shot back up and eyeballed the clock.Just after one AM.If the killer kept his pattern up, there could be another body within twenty-four hours.Or he could already be en route out of this damn city and into a life that didn’t involve bunk beds and a cell mate for the rest of his days.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Images of the three victims swirled around her mind like a carousel, mingling ideas and possibilities in a whirlwind of desperation.There had to be another angle she could try.Rebecca Morgan’s chats might be a dead end, but what about the other victims?What if these kills had nothing to do with the church therapy group and were actually orchestrated through the Scarecrow app?
‘Amelia, can you check for individual accounts on this app?I know it might be a long shot.’
‘Doubt it.These are tantamount to medical records.You couldn’t just go to a doctor’s office and ask to see a list of patients.’
