更新：梅丽莎·卡西亚斯

好了，各位。

Alright, everyone.

如果你一直在等一个最适合开始读我最新小说《缺失的一半》的时机，那现在就是最好的时候——它正式推出平装本了，里面还有更多你意想不到的内容。

If you have been waiting for the perfect moment to pick up my latest novel, The Missing Half, this is it because it is officially out on paperback, and there is more waiting for you inside.

没有什么比窝在沙发上，读一本让人放不下的书更舒服的了。

There is nothing better than getting cozy and diving into a story that you can't put down.

现在，你可以把《缺失的一半》随身带着，走到哪儿读到哪儿。

And now you can take the missing half anywhere.

翻开书页，摸着封面，彻底沉浸进这个谜团，直到最后一刻你都猜不到结局。

Crack the spine, roll the cover, and lose yourself in a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

平装本里，故事的结局比之前版本走得更远。

And in paperback, the ending extends beyond where the story has before.

就在你以为自己已经看透一切的时候，突然多出一章，多了一块拼图，多了一个你绝对想不到的反转。

And just when you think you have it all figured out, now there is a new chapter, one more piece of the puzzle, one more twist that you didn't see coming.

如果你准备好迎接一场充满秘密、惊喜，而且结局让人久久难忘的故事，那就赶紧去任何卖书的地方，买一本《缺失的一半》平装版吧。

If you're ready for a story full of secrets, surprises, and a final turn that will stay with you, grab your paperback copy of the missing half now wherever books are sold.

我之前跟你们这些犯罪迷怎么说的？

What did I tell you crime junkies?

梅丽莎·卡西亚斯案中，每多一个答案，反而带来更多疑问。

More answers in the Melissa Casias case inevitably leads to more questions.

但事情越来越有意思了，所以我赶紧给你们带来一些最新消息。

But things are getting interesting, so I wanted to bring you some stuff hot off the press.

我有几件事要跟你们说，最奇怪的留到最后。

I got a couple of things to hit on, and I'm gonna save the strangest for last.

别走开，继续听下去。

So stick with me.

第一个更新：公众压力和私家侦探。

So update number one, public pressure and the PI.

围绕这个案子的热度一直在飙升。

There has been a ton of intensity heating up around this case.

很多关注都来自媒体，因为梅丽莎被牵扯进了那些失踪或死亡的科学家事件中——对了，不知道你们有没有注意到，我们录节目时，如果算上梅丽莎，名单上一共有十一个人。

A lot has to do with the press attention resulting from Melissa being connected to these missing or dead scientists, which, by the way, not sure if you clocked this, but at the time we recorded our episode, there was a list of 11 if you included Melissa.

福克斯新闻在4月21日发布了一篇文章，讲的是一家人最近在飞机失事中遇难的事。

Well, Fox News published an article April 21 about a family who died in a plane crash just recently.

机上有一位备受表彰的退役飞行员、航天工程师兼国防研究员詹姆斯·托尼·莫菲特，还有他儿子安德鲁·莫菲特，这位年轻人在业内也崭露头角。

On board was a, quote, decorated veteran pilot, aerospace engineer, and defense researcher James Tony Moffitt, and also his son who was up and coming in the field, Andrew Moffitt.

他们的飞机在南卡罗来纳州坠毁，但一家人原本住在阿拉巴马州的亨茨维尔，而化学家兼企业家艾米·埃斯里奇也住在那里。

Their plane crashed in South Carolina, but they were from Huntsville, Alabama, the same city that chemist and entrepreneur Amy Esgridge called home.

艾米2022年的死亡被定性为自杀，但她还是被归入了那批科学家的名单里。

Now Amy's 2022 death was ruled a suicide, but she has been grouped in with that list of scientists.

在她去世前，她曾在一次采访中说，亨茨维尔是个你从来没听说过的最重要的地方。

And before her death, she said in an interview that Huntsville was the biggest deal you've never heard of.

这里可是NASA马歇尔太空飞行中心的所在地，艾米的父亲理查德·埃斯里奇就在这里当了一辈子工程师。

It's home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center where Amy's father, Richard Eskridge spent his career as an engineer.

他们父女俩在她去世前还一起创办了一家研究机构。

He and Amy co founded a research institute together before she died.

不过得说明一下，他接受News Nation采访时说，他不觉得女儿的死有什么可疑之处。

Now it's worth saying though that he told News Nation he does not believe that her death was suspicious.

不过，艾米在去世前几年接受的一次采访，以及她去世前几周 supposedly 发送的短信，都清楚表明她觉得自己被针对了，生命受到威胁。

Though an interview Amy gave a couple of years before her death and texts that she supposedly sent in the weeks before she died make it clear that she felt targeted and that her life was in danger.

这件事现在闹得沸沸扬扬，让更多人关注到了梅丽莎的案子。

So that is all blowing up, bringing more attention to Melissa's case.

以至于负责此案的特工马塔告诉我们，FBI 因为媒体关注主动联系了他，他们正在协调合作事宜。

So much so that agent Mata told us that the FBI had reached out to him, given the media attention, and he's working something out with them for assistance.

但与此同时，还有其他因素在推波助澜。

But at the same time, there are other driving forces stirring things up.

特别是蒙德拉贡一家请了一名私家侦探帮忙，他们是通过一场失踪人口互助活动认识这位侦探的。

Namely, the Mondragon family has a PI working on their behalf who they met through a missing person support event.

这位名叫托马斯·麦克纳利的侦探在亚利桑那州有执业资格，但根据新墨西哥州的执照管理部门，他在梅丽莎失踪的新墨西哥州并没有合法执业资格。

This man, Thomas McNally, is licensed to practice in Arizona, but according to New Mexico's regulation and licensing department, he's not licensed in the state of New Mexico where Melissa went missing.

而且麦克纳利的手段相当激进。

And McNally's tactics have been aggressive.

他一直在社交媒体上发布措辞强烈的帖子，要求调查马克，把他列为嫌疑人，并点名了卡西亚家族的其他成员。

He has been making a series of strongly worded public Facebook posts calling for Mark to be investigated as a person of interest and naming other members of the Casias family.

这话说得也太轻描淡写了。

And that's kind of putting it lightly.

由于舆论发酵，卡西亚一家表示他们开始担心自己的安全，不只是马克，连他女儿也一样。

Now because of the backlash, the Casias family says that they have become worried for their own safety and not just Mark, but his daughter's as well.

我们跟马塔探员聊过这事，他知道这个私家侦探，但没听说过麦克纳利手段这么激烈。

Now we talked to agent Mata about this and he was aware of the PI, but he had not heard anything about McNally's tactics being aggressive.

接下来看第二个进展，里克·瓦莱里奥。

Now on to update number two, Rick Valerio.

还记得那个骑在马背上，在教堂前哭的人吗？

Now remember, this is the guy who was sitting on his horse crying in front of a church.

就是那个跟游客说，刚在山里发现表亲被砍了头的那个人。

The one who told the tourist that he had just found his cousin decapitated in the mountains.

马塔确认了他在我们那集里展示的执法记录仪采访之后，又对瓦莱里奥做了一次跟进采访，但也没挖出多少新东西。

Now Mata confirmed more about that second interview he did with him after the body cam one that you saw in our episode, but there wasn't much more.

他说那次跟进中，瓦莱里奥承认自己每次骑马时都喝醉了，但其他就没再说什么了。

He said that in that follow-up, Valerio admitted that he is intoxicated every time he's on a horse, but not much else came from the interview.

除了Mata说，他没能找到Rick Valerio和Melissa之间的任何关联。

Other than Mata says he has not been able to establish any connection between Rick Valerio and Melissa.

至于他那辆蓝色卡车，我们在节目里一直想知道，有没有人检查过那辆车，毕竟有人目击到一辆蓝色卡车在Melissa最后一次被看到沿着518号公路步行时出现在附近。

And as for the blue truck that he had, in our episode, we were interested to know if anyone had searched it, knowing that there was a sighting of a blue truck near Melissa when she was last seen walking down Highway 518.

答案嘛，算是有吧。

And the answer is kind of.

Mata告诉我们，他确实看过那辆车，但只是大概绕着转了一圈，没做深入检查。

So Mata told us he did look at it, but only visually, like he walked around it.

他注意到车身上有几处老旧的锈迹和损伤。

And he noted old looking rusty damage on it.

Valerio说那辆卡车已经停用好几个月了，根本没开过，不过我不确定Mata有没有核实过这一点。

Valerio said that the truck had been out of commission for several months and had not been driven, but I don't know if Mata managed to confirm that.

不过他确认了，518号公路那段关键路段上没有安装车牌识别系统，所以没法查出那辆出现在Melissa附近的蓝色卡车到底是谁的。

He did confirm for us though that there were no license plate readers on the relevant stretch of Highway 518 to help him out in identifying whose blue truck that was that was seen near Melissa.

接下来是第三个更新，你得坐稳了。

Now update number three, and here's where you need to buckle up.

在梅丽莎那期节目的结尾，我跟你们提过，西耶拉在她妈妈失踪后不久，遇到一个女人来她工作的地方，给了她五十美元作为毕业礼金。

So toward the end of Melissa's episode, I told you about a strange encounter that Sierra had with a woman who came to her work not long after her mom went missing to give her $50 in graduation money.

据说这女人是梅丽莎的老朋友，她特意从科罗拉多州开车三百英里过来，带着未婚夫或丈夫，就为了送这五十美元，连张卡片都没附，其实她完全可以寄过来的。

Supposedly, this woman was a longtime friend of Melissa's, so she drove 300 miles from where she lived in Colorado with her fiance or her husband to give her this $50, no card that, yes, she could have mailed.

这件事背后一定有重要的线索，我坚信这一点。

There is something to this encounter that I believe is really important.

我必须把这件事彻底查清楚。

I just need to get to the bottom of it.

可奇怪的是，尽管我现在掌握了更多细节，反而越来越难理清头绪了。

But that is somehow getting harder to do even though I now have more details.

所以我重新讲一遍这个故事，把更多细节补上。

So let me just kind of like retell you the story filling in more information.

最初，我们问西耶拉的时候，她以为这件事发生在九月，也就是梅丽莎失踪大约三个月后。

So originally, when we talked to Sierra, she thought that that interaction happened in September, about three months after Melissa went missing.

但马克记得，事情其实发生在七月。

Mark though, he remembered it happening in July.

其实他们俩记的都不太准，后来西耶拉翻了手机里的笔记，确认那次见面是8月8日那天发生的。

Well, they were both slightly off and Sierra confirmed for us that she checked the notes on her phone and now she is confident that that interaction happened on exactly August 8.

西耶拉之所以记下这个信息，是因为那个叫温迪的女士当时给了她手机号。

Now Sierra had a note in her phone because this woman, Wendy is her name, gave Sierra her phone number.

更奇怪的是，这女人给了号码，事后却一口否认认识她？

Now is it even weirder that this woman gave her her number than would go on to deny knowing her?

谢谢你的关心。

Thank you for asking.

是的，确实很奇怪。

Yes, it is.

不过我还是接着说吧。

But let me keep going.

西耶拉告诉我们，当时不止温迪和一个男人出现。

Sierra told us that it wasn't actually just Wendy and one man that showed up.

西耶拉记得，温迪来上班时，身边一共来了三个人。

Sierra recalls there being three people with Wendy when she came to her job.

当时和温迪一起来的，有她丈夫或者未婚夫，还有另外一对男女。

There was that man who was Wendy's husband or fiance, and then another man and woman.

最初我们找马克和西erra谈话时，他们没提供温迪的电话号码。

Now when we originally talked to Mark and Sierra, they didn't give us the phone number that they had for Wendy.

只给了我们她的名字。

They just gave us her first name.

后来我们追问姓氏时，西erra转达了马克认为的那个姓。

And then when we pressed them for the last name, Sierra passed along from Mark the name that he thought it was.

于是我们用公共记录，试着联系科罗拉多州一个名字相符的女性。

So we were using public records to call a woman who matched that name in Colorado.

结果发现，我们打错人了。

Well, it turns out we were calling the wrong Wendy.

马克把姓氏拼错了一个字母，这就能解释为什么那位女士根本没回我们电话。

Mark had the last name wrong by one letter, which would explain why that woman never called us back.

记得吗？马塔说他跟温迪谈过，对方否认认识梅丽莎、西erra或马克，还说她从来没去过陶家，好多年都没去过那儿了。

Now remember, Mata is the one who said that he spoke with Wendy and she denied knowing Melissa or Sierra or Mark, Said that she hadn't driven to Tau's, hadn't been there in years.

所以一开始，得知我们打错人的时候，我心想：糟了，他该不会也打错人了吧。

So at first, when I learned that we were contacting the wrong Wendy, I was like, oh crap, maybe he called the wrong person too.

但没有，我们确认过，Mata打的就是Sierra提供的那个号码。

But no, we confirm Mata called the number Sierra got from the woman.

他不是靠那个错的姓氏找到她的，所以他很确定自己确实联系到了正确的Wendy。

He didn't find her by using the wrong last name, so he is confident he spoke to the right Wendy.

不知为什么，她把电话号码给了Sierra，现在却又否认认识这家人。

So for some reason, she gave her phone number to Sierra, but then is denying knowing the family.

谁都觉得这事太奇怪了。

It's not lost on anyone how weird this is.

对吧？

Right?

你认真想想看。

Like, I mean, actually think about it.

Sierra和Mark不可能凭空编出一个名字和对应的电话号码。

There is no way Sierra or Mark just pulled a name and matching phone number out of their hat.

我知道你现在肯定在想，哦，好吧。

And I know you're probably like, oh, okay.

不过你也知道，他们也许是从网上找到了一个公开号码的人，搞了个大骗局。

Well, you know, they could have found somebody who had their number published online, and it was like some long con.

但你是想说，他们居然随机找了个真和新墨西哥州陶斯有关系的人？

But you mean to tell me that they just randomly found someone who actually did have ties to Taos, New Mexico?

她自己跟马塔承认过，她确实去过陶斯，只是很多年没去了。

I mean, she admitted to Matta she had been to Taos, just not for years.

你也不能说，哦，他们就是翻到了梅丽莎一个老朋友的旧名字和号码，然后编了这段经历——可那为什么这个女人坚决否认认识梅丽莎呢？

And you can't even say like, oh, you know, hey, they just found some old name and number of a friend of Melissa's and then made up this encounter because then why is this woman claiming not to know Melissa?

马克说他认识这个女人很多年了，而马塔也明确表示，他完全相信西耶拉说的是实话。

Mark says that he has known this woman for years, and Matta is clear that he absolutely believes Sierra is telling the truth.

他同样感到震惊，完全想不通为什么温迪要否认认识他们。

And he is just as shocked and can't explain why Wendy is denying knowing them.

但事情还没完，越来越奇怪了。

But still, it gets weirder.

所以当我们终于从西耶拉那里拿到了温迪的真正号码后，我们就用我们平时用的数据库做了个反向号码查询。

So when we finally got the real number for Wendy from Sierra, we did a reverse number search in some of the databases that we use.

这个号码确实登记在温迪名下，但也关联着另一对夫妇，这很有意思，因为西耶拉说过，她出现的时候身边还有一对夫妇和温迪在一起。

The number does come back to Wendy, but it's also connected to another couple, which is very interesting knowing that Sierra said that there was another couple with Wendy when she showed up.

对吧？

Right?

接下来这段你可得听仔细了，不然我怕你跟不上。

Well, this is where you need to lock in or you might lose me.

准备好了吗？

Are you ready?

和我一起跟进这些线索的，是我的记者妮娜和我们的外联制片人玛丽莲。

So working on these updates with me were my reporter Nina and our booking producer Marilyn.

是玛丽莲发现这个号码还牵扯到另一对夫妇的。

Marilyn is the one who finds out about the other couple tied to the phone number.

所有这些事情都发生得特别快，而且是实时进行的。

Now this is all happening fast and in real time.

这时候她突然冒出来，跟Nina说：‘咦，有点怪。’

So as this pops up, she tells Nina like, oh, weird.

还有另外两个人。

There's two more people.

我就先管这两个人叫约翰和简·史密斯吧。

And I'm gonna call these people John and Jane Smith.

于是Nina直接在谷歌里搜‘约翰·史密斯 科罗拉多’，想看看能不能找到这个人。

So Nina just types John Smith Colorado into Google and starts seeing if she can find this guy.

结果真跳出一个，照片里他正和一个女人在一起。

And one pops up, and he's pictured with a woman.

我们就把这张照片发给了Sierra。

So we shot that picture over to Sierra.

这两个人，是你那天见到的那对吗？

Did this look like the couple you saw?

她说有99%的把握，那天和Wendy一起出现的那对男女，就是我们发给她的这两个人。

And she said she is 99% sure that the other man and woman who came with Wendy that day are these people that we sent her.

所以我们以为又进了一步，但显然在发布更新前，我们得反复核实清楚，对吧？

So we thought we were one step closer, but we obviously have to check and recheck things, right, before we're gonna publish an update.

然后我们很快发现了一件事。

And we quickly realized something.

这个电话号码登记在一位John S.名下。

The phone number was connected to a John S.

Smith。

Smith.

Nina找到的那张照片上的人是John A.。

The picture that Nina found was for John A.

Smith。

Smith.

Nina还找到了John S.的照片，

Nina was able to find pictures of John S.

但根本不是同一批人。

Smith and they are not the same people.

但她让玛丽莲把约翰·S·史密斯的那些照片也发给了西耶拉。

But she had Marilyn send those photos over to Sierra too of John s Smith.

西耶拉说她根本不认识这个人。

And Sierra said that she didn't recognize him.

我不知道你的脑子是不是跟我一样觉得混乱，但这事儿完全说不通。

And I don't if your brain is breaking the way that mine was, but like this doesn't make sense.

温迪是真实存在的。

Wendy is real.

温迪和约翰·S·史密斯有联系，但温迪去探望西耶拉时，却是一起和另一个完全不同的约翰·A·史密斯出现的。

Wendy is connected to John s Smith, but Wendy showed up to visit Sierra in tandem with a completely different John a Smith.

这案子到底怎么回事？

What is happening in this case?

你想知道最奇怪的部分是什么吗？

And you wanna know the strangest part of all?

那个真正和温迪的电话号码挂钩的约翰·S·史密斯，他和一家叫卡特彼勒的公司有关。

John s Smith, the one who is actually tied to the number connected to Wendy, he is connected to a company called Caterpillar Inc.

根据他们的官网，卡特彼勒是全球领先的建筑和采矿设备制造商，同时生产非公路用柴油和天然气发动机、工业燃气轮机以及柴油电力机车，正在塑造未来。

According to their website, Caterpillar Inc is shaping the future as the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel electric locomotives.

凭借庞大的独立全球经销商网络和卡特彼勒金融提供的融资服务，公司在动力与能源、建筑行业和资源行业三大核心业务领域，通过追求商业卓越与前沿技术，解决客户最棘手的问题。

Backed by one of the largest independent global dealer networks and financing services through CAT Financial, the company's primary business segments, power and energy, construction industries, and resource industries are solving customers' toughest challenges through a commitment to commercial excellence and advanced technology.

所以，你准备好听了吗？

So are you ready for it?

卡特彼勒公司和美国国防部签有大量合同。

Caterpillar Inc has mad contracts with the department of defense.

2025年4月29日，卡特彼勒获得了一份为期一年、总额达八千三百四十万美元的合同，用于提供土方和挖掘设备。

On 04/29/2025, Caterpillar got a one year contract that totaled $83,400,000 for earthmoving and excavating equipment.

2025年5月21日，他们又拿下了一份略超一年的合同，截至今天，已支付金额达九千七百一十万美元，同样是用于土方和挖掘设备。

On 05/21/2025, they were awarded a contract that runs slightly over one year that as of today has paid out 97,100,000 for earthmoving and excavating equipment.

这些只是我在政府网站上找到的最近两笔合同而已。

Now these are just two of the most recent contracts I found on a government website.

还有更多更早的合同。

There are more that go back even further.

但再说一遍，约翰·S.

But again, John S.

史密斯并不是西拉看到的那个人，但他和那个电话号码有关，而这个号码又连着温迪——她曾现身给西拉50美元，现在却说根本不认识她。

Smith is not who Sierra saw, but he is the one connected to the phone number that is also connected to Wendy who showed up to give Sierra $50, but now claims she doesn't know her.

我们跟马塔聊的时候，他说之前根本没听说过史密斯一家，直到我们提起来。

When we spoke to Mata, he did not remember hearing about the Smiths before we brought it up.

他说可能是在搜索温迪的号码时偶然弹出来的，但打电话时他不在办公桌前，没法查笔记。

He said that it might have popped up when he searched Wendy's number, but he wasn't at his desk when he called and he couldn't check his notes.

所以他当时在电话里记了下来，听起来还挺感兴趣。

So he wrote it down during the call and he sounded intrigued.

我们也很感兴趣。

We're intrigued too.

我找到一份2011年的旧演示文稿，是洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室为配合国家核安全管理局和卡特彼勒公司开展的工作制作的。

I found an old presentation from 2011 that was made by Los Alamos National Laboratory for its work with the National Nuclear Security Administration and Caterpillar Inc.

他参与了这项研究。

Was a contributor on the study.

我知道洛斯阿拉莫斯和卡特彼勒在2011年的关联是在梅丽莎失踪好几年前的事，但也许马克的想法——梅丽莎得到了实验室某家分包商的帮助——也没那么离谱。

So I know the 2011 connection between Los Alamos and Caterpillar was years before Melissa went missing, but maybe Mark's idea that Melissa got help from some subcontractor of the lab isn't that far fetched after all.

或者，可能还有没被发现的信息。

Or maybe there is still information to be found.

如果你有任何线索想分享，可以发邮件到 tips@audiochuck.com。

So if you have anything you wanna share with us, you can email us at tips@audiochuck.com.

《Crime Junkie》是由 AudioChuck 制作的节目。

Crime Junkie is an audiochuck production.

我觉得查克会同意的。

I think Chuck would approve.

有时候

Sometimes

在我们世界的某些安静角落，甚至在光天化日之下，总会发生一些完全违背常理的事情。

in the quiet corners of our world or even in the glaring light of day, events unfold that defy the very fabric of reason.

我们所看到的现象，既没有科学依据，也不合逻辑，更找不到任何显而易见的解释。

There is no scientific, logical, or readily apparent explanation for what we witness.

这让我们对世界的认知、信念，甚至理智都产生了动摇。

It challenges our understanding, our beliefs, and even our sanity.

为什么这样的事情会发生？

Why do these things happen?

背后到底有哪些力量在起作用？

What forces are at play?

我是叶特·詹蒂勒。

I'm Yvette Gentile.

我是她的姐姐，拉莎·佩科雷罗。

And I'm her sister, Rasha Pecorrero.

每周在我们的播客《如此超自然》中，我们会深入探讨地球上一些最离奇、最难以解释的现象。

Every week on our podcast, So Supernatural, we dive deep into some of the Earth's most bizarre and inexplicable occurrences.

我们不只是旁观这些现象。

We don't just observe them.

我们努力去解开那些看似无法解释的谜团。

We actively try to explain the unexplainable.

如果你准备好颠覆你的认知，点燃你的好奇心，每周五记得收听《超自然现象》这个播客，各大平台都能找到。

So if you're ready to have your perceptions challenged and your curiosity ignited, listen to So Supernatural every Friday wherever you get your podcasts.