Page 6 of Hack
Archer closed his eyes. "Are you telling me that your niece was one of Lyle's victims?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you, Arch. It's why I've always been so willing to help you follow this case. I want this bastard as much as you do," Howard told him.
"Fuck, why didn't you ever tell me?" Archer was stunned by the news.
"There was no point. Nothing would bring Angel back. I wanted you to go at this without feeling as if you had to find Lyle to give me closure. I didn't want you distracted by more emotional ties to the case than you already have."
Archer nodded, even though Howard couldn't see him. "And this CIA guy?"
"He used to work for the CIA. He quit shortly after Beth's death. I think it was just too much for him to take. Like you, he was frustrated the FBI wasn't doing more to solve the case. His daughter was one of the six found in the grave up in Maine. Lyle had her for five years. I haven't talked to him in a couple of years, but the last time I did, he was still digging through the evidence and determined to find who had killed Angel. I doubt that's changed. I just thought maybe if you combined resources, the two of you might be able to figure things out. He can get you information I never had access to. I'll warn you now, this guy is one of the best hackers in the world, and I'm pretty sure he's breaking all kinds of laws digging for information. The choice is yours if you want to contact him."
"Yeah, of course. The question is, will he want to talk to me?" Archer doubted whoever this guy was would be happy with him knowing that he was illegally hacking into government files.
"I think if you tell him you're close to catching Lyle, he will listen to what you have to say. You can tell him I sent you to talk to him, but don't tell him I told you about the hacking, just let him know I suggested you two meet and talk."
Archer watched as Lyle's brothers stood and left the café. "I'll take any leads or any help I can get."
"I'll forward you Carter's address. The phone number I have for him doesn't work anymore. I wish I could tell you how he'll react to you contacting him, but honestly, I have no idea. He quit work and cut everyone off soon after Beth died. I've managed a few short conversations with him over the years, but it's been at least two since I last talked to him. I'm not even sure the address I have for him is still good, but at least you'll have somewhere to start. I'm sorry I can't help you more." Howard sounded honestly regretful.
"It's okay. You enjoy your retirement. You've done more for me than I ever expected. I wouldn't be where I am without you." Archer meant every word.
"Just find this bastard and bring him to justice. I still don't know what caused you to pick up this case and never let go, but it's been your work over the years that has brought us almost every clue."
Archer bit his lip. He didn't feel like he'd done much more than chase some crazy man around the country. "All I did was follow kidnapping cases and linked them to Lyle. The testing and evidence came from the FBI."
"Who wouldn't have found two of those graves without your help," Howard pointed out.
"We don't know that. Still, I'm glad to do what I can." Even he wasn't sure why this case was so important to him. He'd seen more violent ones. There was something about seeing a group of young girls buried that he could never let go of. It stuck with him, haunted him, and until he brought the man to justice, he couldn't let go.
"You stay strong. Hopefully, you can find Carter and get his help. I've held off on sharing his name with you before this, but with me retiring, and you getting so close to catching Lyle, I think it's time. You give Carter my name when you see him. He should talk to you."
Archer didn't feel as if he was close to catching Lyle. All he had was a name and connections to a family who seemed to never see him. His trail was cold, and honestly, he wasn't sure what his next steps would be. "Thanks, Howard. I'll do that."
"You take care, Arch."
"You too, Howard. Tell Kami I said hello." He always liked Howard's wife. He was lucky the friendship with Howard lasted over the years. He'd lost contact with everyone else almost the day he'd quit the FBI.
"She sends her love. I'll talk to you soon." Howard ended the call.
Archer sighed as he watched Levitt and Luis pull away from the café in separate cars. Following them was pointless. He'd been doing that for weeks now. Neither showed any signs they were in contact with their brother. It was another dead end. With nothing more to go on, he headed back to his motel. It was time to refocus and look for another lead. His phone beeped with a message, and he glanced down to see the information that Howard promised to send.
Maybe it was a sign that this was where he was meant to look next. If he couldn't find Lyle on his own, maybe Carter would have some idea where to go next. It couldn't hurt. Determined to not give up, Archer headed to the motel. He'd get dinner, then he'd look into this Carter person and figure out exactly what his next steps would be.
