Chasing the Elusive 'H'

Chapter 3

Day Two.

The sun’s bright rays, mixed with the faint sound of my bedroom’s alarm clock woke me from my slumber. How long was I asleep for? I instinctively looked at the Kitchen’s clock. f**k! I’m gonna be Late! As I literally jumped off the couch and was bee-lining towards the shower, I noticed a box on the floor.

I paused.

What is that doing there? Are those folders case files? Just then, the events from yesterday came back to me. I sighed. Relieved that I wasn’t late for a change. Looking down at myself I realised that I hadn’t changed from yesterday’s clothes, disgusted I continued to my room to prepare myself for the day to come. Wherever it could take me.

Soon after getting myself showered and dressed, I came back out into the living area I noticed the mess that I made last night. God dammit! I left my milk out during the night. Groaning, I made my way towards the pantry. Finding some long life milk I had stashed away for just an occasion, I started to whip up a simple omelette in the frying pan. Making and taking sips of my bitter coffee whilst checking the omelettes’ completion. I wolfed down my meal and the remainder of my drink when it was cool enough on my tongue, eager to start on this case as soon as I possibly could. Making a grocery list and going to the store today would have to be part of my schedule today, as I’m going to be spending a lot more time at home working on this case.

I left the dishes in the sink for ‘future me’ to deal with. Picking up the box I left on the floor yesterday afternoon, I carried it towards my workspace. Making quick work of my clutter on top of my desk, clearing it up, getting rid of anything that would distract me from my work.

Satisfied with my tidiness I placed my box to rest upon the desk. I fished through its contents to grab all of the relevant items I’d need for my case. Even making sure that I had basic stationary ready. Spreading the limited amount of sheets given to me, I glanced at the paper before breathing in. Hoping to give myself the confidence that I seem to recall having last night before sleep consumed me.

“Another day, another dollar” A smile came to my face. My father’s words proving useful to me today.

I picked up the newest files first. The most recent activity is the most important information, as every case is not always well thought out or has patterns. My hands switching from one sheet to another as I was trying my best to find the details I needed. Once a clue or a fact was found I would highlight it in colour coded techniques. I’m OCD like that.

The list was made up of local CEOs, celebrities, business men, charities, the list is pretty much made up of these sort of people. Or companies or charities that are world wide and around the Michigan area in particular. Now, the money. I raked my eyes over the one of the many amounts stolen. Dumbfounded, Three million? That seems like a high end case for just a simple investigator to handle. That amount of money, seems more like an FBI agents’ sort of work. I wonder if the chief knows that this shouldn't even be in our hands to solve?

I decided to make sure I had the facts right. I quickly wrote up another sheet to ‘short list’ all of the victims and the amount of money taken beside their accounts numbers. Dates and times underneath each victim, if I was lucky enough to receive that sort of vital information. I make this sheet up so then not to look for all of this information from the start.

I tallied the amount that was taken in recent cases, adding up to a whopping $560,430,000.00.

“Holy mother of god!” My pen dropped. “This is definitely an FBI case.”

Without thinking twice I picked up my home phone and dialled the Chief’s number.

“Chief Wattson speaking, whom am I speaking with?” he answered fluently.

“Chief? It’s Mason,” I heard a slight groan on the other end, I pretended to not hear it. “I just crunched the numbers of the amounts stolen in the ‘H’ case assigned to me and I’m concerned that this should be an FBI case.”

A moment passed before he responded “All I’m hearing Mason is, ‘I don’t want this case anymore, and since I can’t refuse or fail, I’m gonna try and make it someone else’s problem.’ The FBI have bigger fish to fry. They don’t have the time to deal with cases that ‘good’ investigators can handle.” he mockingly replied.

“No! Chief! I’m Genuinely concerned that it’s a case for the...”

“Enough! One more excuse and that’s IT. Don’t harass the FBI agents because YOU think that you can’t do it. I’ll know if you have contacted them about this too. Do the case, or YOU’RE THROUGH!” He hung up straight after. My ears hurt from the volume from his voice.

Taking my anger out on the phone, I hung up harshly after hearing the disconnection tone. Looking back towards my desk. The paper seemed like it was taunting me. Tying up my hair into a high tight ponytail, I tried my best to stay positive, trying not to linger on what just transpired.

“I guess it’s all up to me then,” I picked up my home phone and extended the connection wire and made my way towards my desk. I was going to be making a lot of calls. I began ringing the victims one by one, trying my best to get any additional information to add to my investigation.

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After a few hours of hard work, cross-referencing facts and getting additional information, I’ve learnt a few things.

All transactions over the net were done like any other. As in, It didn't seem stolen or disappearing into thin air. There was one account that all funds were dispersed into. But it’s strange, normally that sum of money would have raised a red flag, and that would have stopped the transaction. Heck, there wasn't even a ‘pending transaction’ time period from the banks. It seems like ‘H’ has a way to bypass most security, like ‘H’ has all of the pass-codes to get past most systems that would detect this suspicious sort of behaviour. Definitely a clever fox. Maybe I should remember this? I wrote this information on my ‘short list’.

But the one flaw to his plan, was leaving an account number to track. Or maybe that was his plan? Sure as day I wasn’t able to access ‘H’s’ account information. It was either a tight security system which I was unable to c***k, or it was an account which simply didn’t exist. Probably has fake information on it as well in case someone was able to c***k his code. A wild goose chase, which I’m too smart to persist.

‘H’ definitely knew what he was doing. And me? Well I’m not as tech savvy. Hell, ‘H’ seems to be on a different level entirely. Even bypassing Simmons, and he’s a wiz on the computer. Hitting this hard wall, I knew I was unable to proceed in this direction.

I had to think of a different direction to pursue. Praying that I may get closer to solving this case using a different point of view or approach. So I chose to delve into past cases, maybe there’s a clue in ‘H’s’ history that could help me in another aspect to this case.

I may not be able to find out who is ‘H’, but his past crimes might be able to give me insight to what he plans to do next or at least his whereabouts.

I read the reports on the old cases. Theses facts were determined in the last cases.

One. The team of investigators were able to track him down to a 10 mile radius, which is quite impressive. They narrowed it down finally to an abandoned warehouse, but the report reads that he disappeared well before they tried to arrest him. And since ‘H’ didn't make anymore hacking attempts after the police found his whereabouts, the trail ran cold. ‘H’ set himself up again and re-appeared in a different part of the city a year later. The second time my co-workers weren’t as efficient, only zoning in at a 30 mile radius. But I think that it was enough to scare ‘H’ off and lay low until recently.

And Two. ‘H’ Stole just over half a billion dollars last time and about the same this time. It was inconclusive to how much was actually taken in the first case, but I’m guessing the same, because I can see some sort of trend there. There is also no information given to where this money is going, giving me the impression that he’s holding onto these funds, or taking it out slowly to remain undetected.

I slumped back into my chair. ‘H’ has got close to two billion dollars in his possession. My initial thought is that anyone would be happy with the first heist, right? Half a billion? C’mon, that has be enough for what you plan to do with that money, right? Enough to live comfortably off or achieve your wildest dreams. At least that’s what most people would think to do with that sort of money.

But maybe its something more than that.

It got me thinking, I should research any new company that started any time during any of these heists, or someone purchasing a building. Wait, no. That would have been suspicious, if ‘H’ did that in the past two cases. A new unknown multimillionaire, at that point in time, who so happens to come to light right after a huge amount of money disappears? That sort of suspicious behaviour would’ve had my co-workers all over it.

I’ll do a quick check just to be sure, but ‘H’ seems like a smarter man than that. I had to think differently. Just like my co-workers said.

“...you’re just not cut out for this job. You just don’t think like us, that’s all…” I smiled to myself, believing that’s why I have a chance to catch ‘H’ off guard.

My research for the day, was to first check the recent real-estate of not just here in Michigan, but around the world in case something stands out from ‘normal’ transactions.

Second, was to think and write up all of the ways to stay off the grid with that amount in your bank account. Then work upwards on my list, from the least likely to the most likely. I just prayed that he didn't just mask every transaction ever made from this account, and that I was clearly onto something genius.

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A little over a week later, during this time I did further research, digging deep into the previous cases’ history. I finally narrowed my theories down and started acting on them. Some of them cutting off short, except one. The only one known whereabouts of ‘H’s’ hacking base. Was the only solid piece of information which can help me tracked down ‘H’ in the old fashioned sense.

Working with dates of the first case, I managed to get the name of the moving company who moved ‘H’. I was blessed to find out that they even save all payment receipts in their files. After a short time they were able to find the Payment for their services for ‘H’. It was made in cash, and recorded in a written receipt. He even signed, H.

“Smug and clever,” I thought to myself.

Unfortunately I was unable to get a description of what ‘H’ looks like, since it had been so long ago. They informed me that they were instructed to deliver all of the items to the loading dock, into one of the many shipping containers. That was all I had to go on, and by far it was the best lead yet.

The next day I made the trip to the shipping yard. Discussing this situation with the shipping yard, I found this to be more challenging. These people were clearly unorganised, which is understandable. But luckily I was allowed access to their past paperwork. Knowing that it would have been easier to search it up on the database, but knew how ‘H’ works, he would have found it on their database and deleted it off the face of the earth. So it wasn’t worth my time trying to find it on their computers. I had my work cut out for me.

Using the date off the first mover’s receipt, I was able to find printed logs of the day’s events. Finding ‘H’ again, and his shipping container number. Bingo!

I then skimmed through logs for each day, I was starting to doubt my eyes when I came to the end of a whole month this shipping container was in this yard’s perimeters. I double checked, making sure there wasn’t multiple pages, nor missing pages from these logs. Nope. This cargo was still here at that point in time alright, cause when I looked at the quarter year report I noticed ‘H’s’ shipping container still on their inventory’s list. I looked through the next quarter, to save myself some time. ‘H’s’ shipment was still there. I kept looking at quarterly’s hoping to see a change, and I did.

I noticed the date of this particular quarterly inventory list. It was around the same time he disappeared the second time, suggesting that he actually operated the second set of hacking jobs here. In this very shipping yard! I double checked my case file paperwork that was with me. My hand skimmed along the map of Michigan and yup, my co-workers were close in the second attempt of finding ‘H’. Being that the shipping yard was within the 30 mile radius drawn up.

I beamed, I was ecstatically happy with my progress. But I stopped after I realised something. I only got this far on the back of my co-workers’ previous hard work. I really can’t take all the credit.

“It’s all you now Abigail, you can do this.” I encouraged myself.

I reminded myself of the current date. I’m day nine into this investigation. I felt like I was making good progress. Realising that time was getting on in the day, I took a breath in and continued my search.

“Ok, so ‘H’ wasn’t in this quarter’s inventory sheet, which means I need to backtrack.”

I managed to find the stack of files and worked backwards in time, until I came to a day’s log which had ‘H’ shipping container scheduled for removing. The paperwork also had the name and number of a company who was scheduled to remove ‘H’s’ shipping container.

A thought came to me, but I dismissed it as quick as it came. The idea was to check the surveillance footage to find out ‘H’s’ identity, but I didn’t think it would be fruitful, as I’m sure ‘H’ played a part in deleting any footage of his activities. Plus it was over a year ago, it possibly doesn’t exist anymore anyway.

On a roll, I made my towards my next destination. My next destination is the head quarters of the company who was scheduled to remove ‘H’s’ contents from the shipping yard. Narrowly arriving before their ‘knock off’ time, I was able to explain my case to the receptionist and was allowed to stay.

This other moving company was different. It was different because it wasn’t a moving company at all. It was a car yard for used or rental vehicles. My god ‘H’ was smart.

‘H’ probably rented or bought a banged-up truck to move the items himself, therefore eliminating witnesses and whatnot. But my theory doesn’t end there. Knowing that he was traced by my co-workers in the past, perhaps ‘H’ has also made his operation into a mobile one. Its only a thought, but it makes sense. I won’t know until I get some details from this transaction.

I apologised for coming on the last minutes of their working day. Making my case known, the salesmen and administrators were all too happy to help me with my investigation. Even though they had to stay overtime, for privacy and security reasons.

Giving them an estimated date and my theory of renting or purchasing one of their trucks, they struck gold almost instantly. They bid me farewell and well wishes after I received a photocopy of the information to take home. I thanked them profusely for their time.

I was ecstatic that I didn’t have to wait till the next day to get these answers. Using this time wisely to get ahead in the case, I made my way to the closest police station. After presenting my ID to the front desk, I was allowed access into the stations offices. The one piece of information I received from the used car company that I needed the police database for, was a license plate. Entering in the details ‘H’s’ vehicle, the details being his licence plate, make and model number, and the time periods of results in case I received old entries of previous owners. I was hoping for anything that may help in a round-about way. Things like speeding or parking tickets, reports ect, ect. Ideally a DMV would be more useful, but at this time they were closed for the day.

My eyes rolled as I spotted the name the licence was now under. A man named Henry H Harris. Obviously, its under a fake name. Is there really no end to this guy’s smugness? I’m not looking for ‘H’s’ identity at this point in time. So I disregarded ‘H’s’ intentional attempt at boiling my blood.

I made a note that if I hadn’t found any clues by the end of this night, that my next place to visit would be the local DMV. Just to make sure that this vehicle hadn’t changed hands since it’s been in ‘H’s’ possession or if it has changed it’s plates ect, ect.

But something caught my attention. I don’t know ‘H’s’ capabilities, but it seems like ‘H’ can’t access the local police database. Or maybe this is something that ‘H’ was unaware of.

That something was a report from an older lady not too long ago.

The report reads ‘on the 24th of April an older lady, who shall remain nameless for her own protection, spotted a suspicious vehicle near her home. The truck was parked on the corner of Jaspers road and Cinder circuit.

The quoted statement from the lady was, “There was a large, bulky man going in and out of the truck in question, with all types of equipment. Leaving the truck there for three days so far. I didn't find it suspicious at first, because the truck was parked in an industrial area. But today, I saw the same large man shake hands with another man, right outside the truck’s back doors. After that one of them entered the truck and drove off, I couldn’t tell which one.” The old lady only made contact with the authorities giving those brief descriptions and a licence plate.“EBP 5414” Police were unable to track down the truck or the licence holder in question.’ End of report.

The 24th? That was only a few days after his third set of cases came to light. I was hot on his trail. But I don’t know where this truck is at the moment, or even if ‘H’ is even still using the truck for that matter.

“Hmmmmm,” I felt stumped. “Wait!” I came to a sudden realisation. “If he doesn’t know this report exists, maybe I can track him with normal traffic monitoring cameras?… Surely ‘H’ didn’t go through all traffic footage, deleting every frame his truck was seen on the recording. That would raise too many questions and flags if he did. And why would ‘H’ go through hours of traffic footage when he believes that he’s not being followed, right?”

My eyes scanned the lady’s report again, “The corner of Jaspers road and Cinder circuit,” I repeated aloud from the document. My fingers met the keyboard and soon enough I was able to find a traffic camera in that general area. To my luck was able to catch sight of ‘H’s’ licence plate during the day the report was written.

A smile broke out on my face. My hand reached for my cup. “Here I come Henry H Harris, ready or not!” I took a sip of my coffee that has unfortunately gone cold at this point in time.

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Not knowing how many hours I spent looking through hours of footage, I was able to follow this truck all the way to its destination. I sighed in relief knowing the truck’s final destination for the 24th of April. It was another service road. I couldn’t see where the truck went when it entered the street. I looked up google maps to find out that this service road in particular has a dead end. Knowing that this truck entered a ‘one way in and out service road,’ I decided to take a break and return home for now.

The only thing upsetting about watching these recordings was that the chance to see ‘H’s’ identity still eluded my knowledge, as he was sitting behind the truck’s sun visor whilst driving. It would’ve been good to put a face with the truck to strengthen my findings.

I wanted to continue my investigation of the truck’s whereabouts fresh tomorrow, possibly in the same police station to avoid my usual co-workers. I had a quick look at the clock and realised it was close to 1am. I washed my face and called a cab to pick me up from the station. After a long and quite exhausting day, I was happy to arrive home, to pass out on my bed moments later.

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