"Drug busts this big are pretty rare on Oahu. At least in homicide cases..."

Harry from patrol was sitting in the homicide office when we returned. He speculates on the size of the pot found on the rooftop. 

"They can be. The last big one was last year. Remember the six million seized in the drug ring?" Detective Keele asks. 

"Oh yeah, I remember. One of the men was a cousin of my wife's..." Harry says. 

This makes me laugh for some reason. The family structure on the islands is such that multi-generations usually live together. And relatives abound! I've heard it's not like this really on the mainland, with children usually moving out after high school, never to return. 

"Ha! Seriously? That's crazy!" Detective Jones says, laughing. 

Everyone has at least one family member, even distant, who did something illegal or at the very least embarrassing. 

"My nephew, Chase, is actually coming in, in person. He works in Kapolei at the FBI Field Office. He was very interested in what is going on with the dark web stuff." 

Detective Keele stops jotting down notes on the white board and turns around. 

"Does his specialty in hacking deal with that side of the internet?" 

Harry nodded, "Yeah I think so. He can't tell you a lot of what he works on but I know he's helped bust pedophile rings in Guam and here. It's pretty crazy stuff you ask me. What did we do before the internet got so big?" 

"Criminals still did what they do...it was just more undercover than it is now." 

Detective Jones grimaces, as he sits at his desk, looking at the computer screen. 

"Boss....the warrants for the professor aren't working out. We need a few more things before the judge will grant them." 

"This never fails." Detective Keele sighs. "What are we missing?" 

"The team that discovered the local involvement on the site didn't submit the right paperwork. I don't know how we missed it but..." 

"Give them a call. I don't care if they are off already. We need the warrants as soon as possible." 

I figured that the professors confession would be enough to obtain a warrant but apparently not.  Law was never a strong suit or interest of mine. Detective Jones leaves the office to call on his cell phone. 

"So tell me Keele, you about ready to retire?" Harry asks, helping himself to a cup of stale but hot coffee from the pot by the door. 

"I think about it every day, but then we get a case like this and I can't." 

"Can't....." Harry asks, sipping the coffee. "Or won't?" 

Detective Keele sighs. 

"This job Harry...you know as well as I do. It gets in your blood. I just can't picture myself without it. And Jones is still learning." 

"I get you. I should've retired three years ago when I hit twenty years, but I can't either. I'm doing a lot with training and well, I still like it." 

Detective Keele nods and decides to grab a cup of coffee as well. 

"I think we'll either work until we die, they force a retirement or our wives do." He says. 

"I think you're right." 

What a problem to have! There's a lot to be said about working for thirty plus years in the same job. Not only the stability but the pay at that point is usually worthwhile. I hope that after my murder is solved detective Keele at least could slow down and enjoy time at home more.

After all, we don't live forever. 

🩸

Harry's nephew arrived and Harry said he needed to head home to his wife. The detectives were left alone to talk about dark web things and my picture being all over a porn site. Definitely not something I thought would ever take place in my lifetime. How had my old professor gotten ahold of picture's of me? And more importantly, who else was in on this?

"Tell us Chase, what is your take on this site?" Detective Jones asks.

Chase pulled up the dark web site that my old professor was on. He was using a personal computer that he ensured the detectives was untraceable, and thus safe to access what they needed. It wasn't though, admissible in court in this way. They would need to figure out how to obtain the knowledge legally.

"It's pretty standard as far as encryption goes. Whoever put it up was an amateur though. These roving codes that change daily, they do nothing against a low level hacker even. But for a regular joe, yeah, it would stop them."

"Is this something that gets viewed internationally? Or just here in the States?" Detective Keele asks. 

"Oh definitely internationally. I can see that IP addresses as far as Africa are viewing it now." He says, pointing out the rapid succession of numbers flashing at the bottom of the screen. 

It hits me that he is saying people in foreign countries are looking at what they think is me. Nausea sweeps through my ghost. I feel ill and wished I could erase what is on the computer screen. No one wants their image used in this manner, without consent. 

"Can you see any names or locations as far as who may be using it on Oahu?" 

Chase types furiously, gnawing at his lower lip. 

"Yes......and no. Hang on."

As he types more, detective Keele stands nervously to continue making white board notes. He is worried and has energy seeping out of his pores. This part of an investigation must give them a high, but not necessarily a good one. 

"Ok. Yes.....there is one, two, three IP addresses on Oahu right at this moment viewing the site. Not necessarily your victims pictures but the site as a whole."

"Can you pinpoint the exact locations?"

"I sure can. But you can't do anything with this info you know..."

The detectives exchange a glance. They know this is flirting with fire but they need somewhere to start to catch the players. Was knowing who was on the site going to be enough to then try and trap them another way?

"We know. Go ahead and tell us where."

🩸

Honolulu and Mililani. There are actually four people all looking at the dark web porn site from Honolulu and Mililani. Three from Honolulu alone. The detectives have determined that the sites are all coming from cell phones. Which unfortunately don't show a residential address. But, the IP addresses are connected to a cell number which can quickly be looked up. 

"I am getting the names for two of the lines....you won't believe it. They are registered to the next door neighbors boyfriend. Mark. Same billing address as their condo. I had a weird feeling when we ran into the friend, Rachel. Her and the boyfriend are on the site. You think that is a coincidence boss?"

Detective Keele shakes his head. 

"It most certainly is not. They are the key I think, to where the pictures originated from. They knew her best and were right there."

"Next door neighbors huh? I'd be sweeping the victims place for cameras and recording devices. I bet that is how they got pics. Unless the victim gave them to them or let them take them....but that doesn't seem likely. This site is not like normal porn." Chas equips. 

I wish I could shout 'the bodies aren't mine!!'. Whoever took my face found a close match but she is not me. And I never gave anyone permission to do this. I think the detectives know this though, at least that I wasn't the type to ok it. 

"Hidden cameras. We will search for some. The condo is still taped up."

Detective Jones makes a call to have patrolmen do a sweep with forensics. The higher up's want this solved so the needed resources can be used at the drop of a hat. Had Rachel and Mark gone back in though and taken anything they might have planted down? Hopefully, not. 

Once the call was made, detective Jones finishes looking up the last IP addresses against cell numbers. 

"Well....one belongs to our professor and the other belongs to....your not going to believe this."

Detective Keele glances at detective Jones. 

"Who is it?"

"Its Lila, the HR Director."

Detective Keele exhales loudly. Then he stands again and circles Lila's name in red on the white board. 

"The professor used her for an alibi the morning of her death. Said they were having an affair. I believed him but now....I don't think I do."

"Why not?" Detective Jones asked. 

"I bet money on it that she was there to murder our victim. The four of them all connected to using Leilani's pictures and they all happen to be seen around the building. I think Leilani was going to expose them for what they were doing."

"If she knew..." 

"Yes, if she knew. And I think  they might all be connected to the drugs as well. The fact the drugs were in the building is just another connector to the situation. But we need to find out more..."

Chase was listening to the conversation and studying the white board intently. Finally, he spoke up. 

"I think your construction worker might be involved. Somehow."

Detective Keele's interest was peaked at this.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because, I have seen his name before."

~ This book is Copyrighted by K E Jennings and only available on Wattpad. if you are reading this on another site, it has been stolen without permission or monetary payment to the said author. ~

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Do you know anything about the dark web?

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Fun Hawaiian Fact: Sand on the islands can come 4 different colors. Black, white, green and a mixture. Lava and minerals cause the distinct colorations.