DEADLY STILLWATER (McRyan Mystery Series)

Chapter 4: "He's got options from here."

CHAPTER 4

"He's got options from here."

The Explorer sped north, engine roaring, the siren and lights moving traffic out of the left lane as the needle on the speedometer passed one hundred. Mac worked the wheel, with Lich scanning a Minnesota map, checking out Clearwater. Riley and Rock were trailing in an unmarked sedan, alternately on the phone with the Clearwater Police, the State Patrol, Mac and Lich, as well as Burton and Peters.

Five miles from the exit, Mac said, "You know what was weird about the call?"

"What?" Lich asked.

"They didn't ask for the ransom," Mac replied. "If this is about ransom, why not ask for it right then?"

"They'll call back, I'm sure," Lich replied. "Maybe he figures if he stays on the line too long he'll get pinched."

"Maybe. Maybe. But something doesn't seem right."

"There's nothing right about any of this."

Mac hit the exit ramp, hammered the brakes, and turned hard right. Two state patrol cruisers, a Clearwater squad car, and a Sherburne County Suburban, lights flashing, clustered at a pay phone in the parking lot for an abandoned fast-food joint. Lich sighed.

"That's what I feared."

"What's that?" Mac asked.

"He's got options from here."

"Options?"

Lich pointed at the map, where Interstate 94 and State Highway 10 bracketed their position. Mac understood immediately.

"He could make the call and go north on County Road 24 for four miles, which gets him to State Highway 10, or he could go left and back over to 94," Lich said.

"Or just stay south on 24, which will take you toward Annandale and Maple Lake twenty miles to the south," Mac added. "Shit."

"And if he jumps onto 94 heading back to the cities, with the traffic coming home from up north, he just blends in with everyone else," Lich said glumly as he climbed out. Riles and Rock were out of their car, and Riles immediately started in.

"Shit, he could go any number of ways..."

"...out of here," Mac finished.

"We know," Lich said with disgust. "He has options."

The area around the phone had been taped off by the locals. Forensics personnel from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) would arrive shortly and begin processing the scene. The Clearwater police chief, a pot belly man named Billy Miller, introduced himself and then ran it down.

"No surveillance cameras, this old burger stand's been closed for over a year now."

"How about at the convenience store across the road, Chief? Is there any surveillance over there?"

"A trooper went over and asked and looked at their surveillance system. But..."

"You can't see anything across the road and into this parking lot," Mac said, shaking his head.

"Correct," Miller replied.

"Are we checking with all these businesses, gas stations, and restaurants around here?" Riley asked.

"My two guys are on it," Miller answered, "along with a couple of troopers. They've been at it for a half hour, but as far as I know, they haven't come up with anything."

They turned and watched as the BCA folks arrived and began walking around with flashlights, fingerprinting the telephone, bagging everything in sight. The effort was being made.

"Maybe the BCA will turn up something," Rock said unconvincingly.

Miller shook his head, downcast as the rest of them.

"I don't suspect much will be found, and when he rolls out of here..."

"We know," Rock replied, waving to County Road 24. "He's got options."

* * * * *

11:42 p.m.

Smith dropped the car at the Park & Fly, which was emptier now, and jumped back into the van. Inside the van, he revved the engine and turned the radio to the talk station. The kidnapping of Shannon Hisle was big news, and the talking heads were focused on it. Of course, so were the nuts, all of whom were frothing at the mouth, ranting for all to hear.

"I agree, it was a brazen act in broad daylight," the host responded to a caller.

"Well, with something like that, it's just further evidence that people should be carrying a gun to defend themselves. If this girl had a gun, she could have defended herself."

"Well, as all you listeners know I'm an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, conceal and carry," the host responded, "but I think that response is perhaps an overreaction..."

Smith smiled at this as he turned left onto Shepard Road, motoring east back to the safe house. A gun wouldn't have mattered for Hisle. Even if she did have one, Dean was on her so fast she never could have used it. But what really made him smile was the environment such coverage created—of people behaving hysterically, stupidly, carrying guns, calling the police to report every little thing, distracting them from the task at hand. It was perfect.

And then he smiled again.

If people were hysterical now, just wait until his next plan went into effect.

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THE MYCRYAN MYSTERY SERIES: (Copyright © Roger Stelljes)

First Case - Wattpad preview

Deadly Stillwater - Wattpad preview

The St. Paul Conspiracy - Wattpad preview

Electing To Murder - Wattpad preview

Fatally Bound - Wattpad preview

AGENT TORI HUNTER SERIES: (Copyright © Roger Stelljes)

SILENCED GIRLS - Wattpad preview

Copyright © Roger Stelljes