Chapter 43

Tip

 

 

Parker and Jaden had made it to their hotel in Palo Alto in time for a late dinner at a Mexican restaurant that, after much explanation in Spanish by Jaden, agreed to accommodate Parker’s culinary restrictions. No spice, no sauce, no cheese, just plain white rice and a chicken breast. As uninteresting as the dish had been, its passage through the remnants of Parker’s intestines kept him up all night. He was showered, dressed, and pacing his hotel room when Becky called at 6:30 a.m.

He answered with, “Did you do anything about the eyes, or do you still look like a raccoon?”

“Fuck you, Parker. I was going to apologize for waking you, but now I’m not sorry.”

“Well, you didn’t wake me. I’ve been up for hours, so there. Why are you calling this early? You have another headless body?”

“No, thank God. The Xperion subpoena should be in your inbox by noon my time.”

Parker did the time zone math. “That should work. I want to present it to their lawyer first thing. Is that why you called?”

“No. An online tip form came in early this morning, and it specifically mentions you.”

“So what?” Parker scoffed. “I get about a dozen a month. Fame is an awful cross to bear.”

She sighed heavily. “A person identifying themself only as Shea, I assume that’s a woman’s name but not sure, claims she has information about the victims she needs to share with a Dr. Reid. That would be you. She provided an email address. I’m sending it now.”

Parker’s phone vibrated. He looked at the address. “Probably a crank. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, but you should still follow up.”

“Sounds like something my flunky should do.”

“If you mean me, I’m not doing it.”

“I was thinking Breaux, but you can be my flunky too.”

“Fuck you again, and Jaden isn’t your flunky.”

“Anything else?” he said.

“Yeah, that thing you asked me to have the research team look into.”

“The security systems used at the scenes.”

“Yeah,” she said. “All the same.”

Parker smiled. He could almost see the puzzle pieces completing the Khafre pyramid.

“And Parker?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember these Xperion people are rich and well connected. Don’t be too heavy-handed.”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” he said and ended the call.

He stared at the tipster’s email address for a few moments. Chances were high this Shea was either a wannabe detective with some useless theory or a sicko looking to share in the killer’s mayhem. He loathed to encourage her. Once she had his email address, he’d never get rid of her. He had a special folder filled with hundreds of messages from others like her he’d indulged in the past. No doubt he’d be adding her messages to it.

He eased down on the sofa next to the bed and typed into his phone’s email app. Received your message. What do you know? That done, he turned the TV on and tuned it to a cable news channel. He spent twenty minutes watching impeccably groomed anchors spout the usual apocalyptic news stories, then stretched out and dozed.

Loud pounding on the room door woke him. “I’m coming, I’m coming. For God’s sake, don’t break it down.” He threw open the door as Jaden was about to deliver another volley.

“You’re dressed,” Jaden said.

“Disappointed?”

“No.”

They went down to the hotel’s restaurant, where Parker drank tea and watched Jaden eat something called a vegan scramble. It smelled awful.

“What’s in that?”

“Seasoned vegetables, fried tofu, and non-meat chorizo.”

Parker put his finger in his mouth and made a gagging sound. He took out his phone and checked his email. The tipster had replied. He cringed as he opened the message and promptly almost spit out his tea when he read: I think Jyothi and Charles were killed because they played a Verse simulation game called the Land of Might and Magic. This is going to sound weird, but were their ears missing?

“Holy shit,” he said.

Jaden looked up from his fake sausage. “Everything okay?”

Parker ignored him and typed, Can we talk? He hit send and placed his phone on the table. Jaden was still staring at him. “I think we got something.”

“Was the subpoena signed?”

“I don’t think we’re going to need it,” he said as his phone buzzed.

The tipster replied: At work. Can’t talk. DM me.

Parker clicked on the message connection and typed. How do you know about the game?

She responded instantly. There’s a player in LMM who is killing the advanced characters. He cuts their heads off with a sword. Sound familiar? He takes their ears. Jyothi and Charles were trying to stop him.

Parker’s hands were shaking from the adrenaline rush, and it took him three tries to type, How are you involved?

I am working with a woman from the company that owns the game to find and stop the player. I don’t think she knows he’s really killing people.

“Fuck,” Parker murmured.

“Come on. Tell me what’s going on,” Jaden said.

Parker typed, Who in Xperion are you working with?

Angela Harding.

He furiously thumbed his reply, I’ve been trying to get in touch with her. She doesn’t return my messages.

Mine neither.

Parker looked up at Jaden. “Those fuckers at Xperion have been lying to us.” He showed his confused partner the message thread.

“Holy shit. Who is that?”

“I’ll explain on the way,” he said as he typed. It’s important we talk. Where are you?

Atlanta. I’ll be home by seven. Message me then.

Parker checked the time. Eight-thirty, eleven-thirty in Atlanta. He typed, Can’t you talk at lunch?

No fixed lunch time and no privacy. Seven works best.

Okay, he replied, then he thought about Lincoln’s missing action figure and typed. One more thing. Is the character you’re trying to stop named Akandu?

Never heard that name. I only know him as the Gray Warrior. Three dots indicated she was typing something else. Angela called him the Anomaly.

“The Fucking Anomaly,” Parker said as he used his cane to push himself out of his seat.