Page 46 of Fatal Fame
"That's what I've been trying to figure out for ten years. But I've got some theories, and I've accumulated information that might interest you."
They spent the next hour going through Gideon's files and comparing them to Evelyn’s. They were organized with the same obsessive attention to detail that characterized his media collection. He had timelines, suspect lists, evidence inventories, and witness statements that went far beyond what had been made public about the original investigation.
"The thing that's always bothered me," Gideon said, pulling out a folder thick with photographs and documents, "is how quickly certain leads were abandoned. Take Travis Rudd, for example, a creepy guy from Rebecca's art class who disappeared right after the murders. According to everyone who knew him, he stood out as a perfect suspect, clear motive, access to the victims and then he just vanishes off the face of the earth. But the official investigation never even brings him up."
"Why?"
"Because someone with power became a more convenient target — Michael Torres, who dumped Rebecca weeks before. It’s classic jealous ex-boyfriend scenario, and it had the advantage of keeping attention focused on personal motives or larger conspiracies.” He paused. “But I think its Occam’s Razor,” he said.
Mia nodded. “The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.”
“You got it. In other words, don’t get lost chasing wild theories or elaborate conspiracies. When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.”
“Did you look into Travis Rudd?”
“Extensively. No one knows where he went. Not family, friends, or co-workers. He was there one day and gone the next.”
“And your theory on that?”
“Like I said, I think this whole case is smoke and mirrors. People want you to focus here when the real answers are over there.”
“And over there… would be?”
“Travis Rudd. But I can’t find him.”
Mia studied everything that Gideon had collected.
“By the way, I thought you would know this. What with you visiting Evelyn.”
“How do you know I visited her? I never said that. I said I was referred to you by her.” She glanced at him, wondering if he was the Ivy Rivers who had been contacting her.
“Because Evelyn rarely answers her phone. The only way you can pin her down is to go to her.”
“Oh. Okay. Yeah. Well I haven’t had time to go through the copies of files she gave me yet.”
There was a long pause.
“To be honest, I’m surprised you’re here," he said.
“Why?”
"Figured you would be with the podcast team."
"I did. I mean I would if I had a way to get near them. They are currently being interviewed by the cops. That door is closed."
"Rule 3 of being a citizen detective. No doors are closed." Gideon continued, "I have a way to contact what's left of Pierce Landry's team."
He pulled out his phone and navigated to Instagram, showing Mia a direct message thread with Sienna Locke. "Thesocial media manager for Cold Trail has been responsive to questions, especially since Pierce disappeared."
"You've been in contact with them?"
"Intermittently. They reached out to me the moment they decided Season 3 was going to be the Hale case. They might be held at the hotel pending investigation, but they're still monitoring their social media presence. Professional habit, I suppose."
Gideon typed a quick message:I have someone here who says she knows you. She’s hoping you might be able to share some of the information you were working on before Pierce went missing.
The response came back within minutes:Who is it? We're not supposed to talk to media or investigators without lawyers present.
He replied:It’s not media. It’s a local with family connections to law enforcement. They want to know what you have uncovered.
