Presently, he said, “We’re in.”

Eli went to the door, gently but firmly easing Sara and Brynne backward, into the hallway. “And you two are out,” he said.

With that, he closed the door in their faces, then went back to his place opposite Melba. Dan was like a human mountain between them.

Eli fixed his attention on the monitor screen.

Dan was still clicking away on the keyboard, and as various images flickered by, Eli realized they were traveling deeper and deeper into patently evil territory.

He shuddered involuntarily.

They were on the devil’s playground now, a place where even angels probably feared to tread.

Presently, the image of an old barn filled the screen.

Eli recognized it, and so did Melba.

They both drew in their breaths.

“This,” Dan said, “is Lansing’s home page.”

“I thought that pile of scrap wood had been torn down years ago,” Melba said, and gave a little shudder of her own.

“Me, too,” Eli replied.

“Want a virtual tour?” Dan asked, unflappable as always.

“Yes,” Melba said, without conviction.

Dan clicked on the barn’s sagging doors, and they swung open.

“This guy might be a crap-wad,” he remarked calmly, “but he knows how to code. Too bad he’s on the wrong side.”

There were no bodies inside that pixilated structure, at least, none that were in camera range, just long, dust-speckled shadows, cobwebs and what looked like an army cot shoved up against one wall.

“Is this in real time?” Melba asked.

Dan shook his shaved head. “He could stream from there, if he wanted, but these images are still shots, edited to flow together.”

“What’s that? In the corner?” Eli leaned in, tapped a fingertip against a bulky shape.

Dan zoomed in, and the undefined shape crystalized into a navy blue backpack, clean and fairly new looking. The zipper pull was still shiny, and there were no tears or stains to be seen.

Eli straightened, looked over at Melba, who was looking back at him.

“I have another set of shoes in the car,” Melba said.

“Good,” Eli replied.

“I’m going with you,” Dan stated, about to shut down Freddie’s freaky website and stand.

“Stay here,” Eli said. “See what else you can find.”

Dan growled in protest, turning in the chair to glower at Melba and Eli both. “I don’t like the feel of this. You two need professional backup.”

“We are professionals,” Melba retorted.

Dan looked furious, but he must have known, more than most, that it was futile to argue with Deputy Melba Summers when she was in cop mode.

Which was most of the time.

“That’s right,” Eli agreed, already on his way to the door.

Brynne and Sara were lurking outside, and they barely managed to get out of the way without being bowled over by the dynamic duo.

“Get your shoes,” Eli barked. “We’ll take my SUV.”