CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT - The Pursuit Intensifies

After brief introductions, Gustavo got straight to work. He set up a makeshift office in Lucas and Ella's guest room, pinning maps, timelines, and photos to the walls. He interviewed Ella and Lucas separately, his questions probing and incisive, often touching on details they had forgotten or overlooked. On his third day in Willow Creek, Gustavo called them all together for a briefing. As they gathered in the living room, there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. "I believe I've found our first significant lead," Gustavo announced without preamble. He unrolled a large map on the coffee table, pointing to a specific area. "This region here, about 20 miles outside of town. It's largely uninhabited, mostly old farmland and woods. But look at this." He overlaid a series of transparent sheets on the map, each one covered with a network of lines and dots. "These represent cell phone tower pings from the numbers we've traced back to the admirer's burner phones. Notice anything