Chapter 35: The Hidden Puppeteer?

After my question, Samuel suddenly stopped. I was surprised by his sudden pause. He stood there in silence for several minutes, and I foolishly stared at him.

"Could it be possible that Riley himself is a distraction here?" he asked.

When I heard this, I also began to ponder. Perhaps someone is using Riley to commit these murders. And if that were the case, then the real killer could be too far beyond the scope of our investigation. After all, if that were true, then we should have been able to use AI to find some key to unraveling this mystery. Thinking about this, I decided to clarify with him.

"Do you think that Riley himself is just a part of the chain?" I asked.

"After your question, I came to this conclusion. Perhaps he appeared in those cities according to the plan of some unknown person, who possibly provides resources for him to do so," Samuel said.

"But that's beyond the realm of fantasy. It simply can't be true," I said, trying to deny his hypothesis.

"I hope so too, because such a chance is so unlikely. It's hard to imagine that someone would help in such a matter," he said.

"What are we going to do then? If such a person exists, then part of the blame will be on them," I said.

"Yes, but first we need to catch the criminal. It's possible that in the end, it will turn out to be Riley or someone else on the list," he said.

"Then let's hurry to the car," I said.

We quickly made our way to the car. Upon reaching it, Samuel immediately pulled out his tablet, to which he connected the camera we found in the abandoned building. After connecting to the camera, Samuel called his colleagues at the FBI and opened access to the tablet, after which they began to study the camera and search for the resource where the camera recordings were stored.

Throughout this time, I was contemplating the hypothesis that Samuel had put forward. While the possibility existed, it did not negate its potential for implementation. If such a person existed, then it was necessary to understand what goal or benefit they wanted to gain from it.

"I won't believe in the possibility of verifying the reality of the rituals. It sounds ridiculous even to consider. The possibility of a monetary reward is also too fantastical. After checking Riley's accounts, I can say that there is not enough money in his account for such assistance. Therefore, we must dig deeper. After all, no one will act at their own loss," I said to myself as I pondered the possible motives of Riley's supposed helper.

While I was thinking about possible motives, Samuel finished with the camera.

"They were able to find the resource and are now studying the recordings saved on it," he said.

"Did they save the recordings from that day?" I asked.

"Most likely, yes, as the first saved recording is over two months old. Perhaps the recordings were not deleted since then. But they also found something strange there," Samuel replied.

"What?" I inquired.

"There was an encrypted recording that had a time block that will be revealed 240 hours after the upload," he said.

"A time block? Can't it be hacked?" I asked.

"They tried to hack it, but the file just got deleted. After they uploaded it again, the timer started over with 240 hours," Samuel explained.

"So, we just have to wait?" I asked.

"Yes, but there is a possibility that it will also be deleted after the time runs out. That's why the IT team will try to hack it. Until they succeed or until the file opens on my tablet. One of the two must work for sure," he replied.

"Then I hope for the first one, if it comes true faster. Perhaps there is something in it that will help with the case," I suggested.

"Perhaps. But they have other matters as well," said Samuel.

I looked at him inquisitively. "What matters?" I asked.

"While they do have records, they are all encrypted. Decoding them with the help of AI will take about a day. So we have plenty of time now," he said.

"If AI can decode them, then why not use it to unlock that file?" I asked.

"Encryption and blockage are different concepts. Blocking a file is like locking a house with a key. You'll need lockpicks to break in. But when it comes to encryption, it's like a door closed with an electronic key. Use a program to find it, and you'll get in without any trouble," he explained.

"So does that mean AI cannot find the key to that blocked file?" I asked.

"Not that it cannot. It just doesn't know how to do it yet. So they have time to teach it how to open such files with its key," he said.

"What shall we do then?" I asked.

"Talk to the suspect," he said.

"Where are we going then?" I asked.

"To Sheppard's. I think it's time we meet him since he's the first suspect on our list," he said.

"And where does Riley stand then?" I asked.

"He's in the middle of the list," answered Samuel.

"I thought he was first, since you believed in my hunch," I said.

"In the list compiled by AI, Riley is in the middle for valid reasons. The chances of being the killer are higher for Sheppard and Daphne Moore than him. Besides them, there are six more suspects. And he's only ninth on the list of 17," he said.

"Shall we head to Daphne after Shepherd?" I asked.

"Yes. While we wait for the camera data to be decrypted, we'll have time to meet with at least half of the people on this list," he replied.

"Don't you think that might scare off the real criminal?" I asked.

"Even if it does, they're all under the observation of the AI through public cameras. They'll be stopped if they try to leave the city," said Samuel.

Having decided to go to Shepherd, we headed to him on a hint from the AI.