Oakfield nodded. ‘And here’s why – if Nelson really decides to come after you and he somehow manages to find out your new identify – a common name and a not so small town will play to your advantage.’
‘In which way?’
‘Think about it,’ Oakfield urged Sam. ‘Let’s say you picked an unusual name, something like Anuska Clissold.’
Sam frowned at him.
‘I just made that up,’ Oakfield explained, giving Sam a shrug. ‘Anyway, what I’m trying to tell you here is – let’s say that Nelson has managed to find out that your new name is Anuska Clissold.Now he needs to find your location. There are several specific search engines out there that’ll search for names and addresses up and down the country.’
Sam finally caught up with Oakfield’s train of thought. ‘A more common name should give him a longer result list on a name search.’
‘Exactly. Now let’s say that somehow, Nelson went a step further and managed to find out not only your new name, but also the city you picked to restart your life. So now all he needs is the address.’
Sam caught up with Oakfield yet again. ‘Chances are that a more common name will return several different addresses in a bigger city.’
‘As opposed to just a couple in a tiny town,’ Oakfield confirmed. ‘What you’ll be doing is tipping the odds in your favor… amplifying the playing field and making it harder for anyone to pinpoint you.’
‘I never thought of that,’ Sam admitted.
‘Most people don’t.’ Oakfield paused and once again dabbed the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. ‘But if you really prefer to live in a smaller town, instead of a bigger city, here’s another valid trick: once you get your new identity, move to any city you like – big or small – it doesn’t matter because this first move won’t be your permanent address.’
Sam gave Oakfield a single eyebrow lift.
‘In fact,’ the DA continued. ‘If I were you, I’d place all my belongings in storage and simply rent an already furnished place somewhere. Go for a short-term contract – a year, maximum – at the end of which, you move again. This time you can go for a permanent address, or, if you really want to be on the safe side, go for another one-year contract some place else – different city, different state even. After that, I’m sure you’ll be OK to finally settle down into a permanent address.’
Sam drummed her fingers on the table.
‘It’s a lot of fuss,’ Oakfield admitted. ‘But the more you move around, the more tangled the web gets for anyone trying to find you.’
Sam still looked a little uncertain.
‘Your new name will go on file, Sam,’ Oakfield informed her. ‘But not your address. You’re not entering a government witness protection program. You’re simply getting a new identity, that’s all. You don’t have to inform the court of a new address every time you move. So even if someone manages to find out about your new name, finding your location is a whole new cat and mouse game for them. If you move around a couple of times, you’ll make that game one hundred times harder.’ This time, the wink he gave Sam didn’t come across so sleazy. ‘Tipping the odds in your favor, remember?’
Sam smiled back.
But Oakfield wasn’t done yet. ‘Now, here’s my most important piece of advice regarding your identity change.’
Sam locked eyes with the DA and waited.
‘You just said that you’re thirty-four years old right?’
Sam nodded, stretching her mouth in a sad manner, as if being thirty-four was a sin.
‘But on looks,’ Oakfield continued, ‘you can easily pass for twenty-six… twenty-five even.’ The pause was deliberate just to hold the suspense for a little longer. ‘Well… here’s your chance.’
Sam bit her bottom lip. ‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying? I can alter my date of birth?’
‘It’s not so much that youcanalter your date of birth,’ the DA told her. ‘It’s more a case of youshouldalter your date of birth.’
Sam’s smile was one hundred percent genuine.
‘Within the realms of reality, of course,’ Oakfield added.
‘Of course,’ Sam agreed.
‘And the reason why I told you that this is my most importantpiece of advice, is because if Nelson manages to find out which new name you went for, the one searching parameter he will have to try to narrow down the number of results for location is…’
‘My date of birth.’ Sam was, once again, late to the party, but she got there eventually.
