“What do you mean, how?”

“How would you find a girl that looked like Chloe, or a man like a missing pilot?”

I haven’t even thought about that question. I’ve been too focused on airplanes and feathers. “What do you mean?”

Damian’s lips form a cocky grin. “Maybe it wasn’t a wasted trip. It never is to see you. Maybe you should start by asking ‘Who do I look like?’ Literally. I’m sure it’s a question our nondescript, very bland Warlock once asked.” Damian gives me a wink and leaves to chase after what I hope is an imaginary flight.

I watch as he retreats down the moving sidewalk and vanishes into the crowd. He left his hat on the seat. I tuck it into my bag for when I get a chance to ask someone in forensics for a favor.

I hear my flight called. I’m about to put my laptop away and worry about Damian’s puzzle later when the answer hits me.

How could I have been so blind?

22

DAMIAN LITERALLY SPELLED it out for me. When he impersonates people, he starts with people he already looks like. He finds someone that resembles him.

I start with a simple Google search: “Who do I look like?” Several sites come up. I click on one called Faceplaced.com.

A website loads with images of people who look very similar. It’s not a site that tries to find what celebrity you look like. This is different. The image search goes through millions of publicly uploaded photos, with a lot of weight given to profile pictures. It finds other regular people who look like you. Similar to what law enforcement uses, only this makes use of public records.

I try it with a photograph of my face I have saved on my desktop for ID badges. The site finds several dozen images and ranks them by probability. I notice that it lets you load multiple photos to get multiple dimensions and not just face forward. The site is way more advanced than other systems I’ve seen. The speed is faster than anything I’ve used at the FBI. It also has social media profile photos that we don’t normally have access to. The results are uncanny.

Of the images on the screen, some of the photos are actually of me from my days in magic and photos friends in college took, others of women who bear an uncanny likeness. This is like looking into a mirror dimension. I see my duplicates getting married, holding babies, doing things I’ve never done.

I cringe when I see one of the images is my cover of Magician Magazine. God only knows how many people already have made that connection. My stomach turns at the thought of the press realizing who the “Witch” really is. There are even more risqué photos out there. I don’t need that kind of attention.

I upload the photograph of the man we found in the Avenger. A few similar matches pop up, but nothing that looks like a direct hit.