Under Ice

Chapter 19

"Guys, are you sure about this?" Grant whimpered through his earpiece.

"Will you shut up?" Riley hissed back from where she was sat in her car, earning a disapproving look from Morgan in the passengers seat.

It was at the point where she really couldn't help it. She had been dealing with Grant's pathetic complaints for 20 minutes now, and she was reaching the end of her tether. They were parked across the road from Aminta's local park where they had found Mary-Anne's body had been found. Through the tinted windows of the car, they could see Grant sat nervously on a bench, his gloved fingers tapping on the arm.

Riley was restless too, her veins coursing with anticipation and excitement. She shifted in her bullet proof vest she had wrapped around her chest, and checked over all her equipment for the fifth time that hour. Radio, check. Gun, check. Torch, check. The list went on and she smiled, satisfied she was prepared.

"Are you sure our killer won't expect a trap?" Asked Green over the radio, from the car on the other side of the street that he and Fallow were stationed in.

"No idea," Said Morgan. "But this is the best we can do for now,"

"Well, are they really going to strike at this time, out in the open?"

"Its 7 pm on the day before Christmas Eve," Replied Riley. "No one's going to be about to see any of this."

"Speaking of no one being around," Morgan said slowly, "Who's that?"

He pointed, and Riley followed his gaze towards the entrance to the park, where a hooded person, was coming up the path.

"Keep quiet Grant," She ordered quickly through the earpiece. "This might be it."

They watched as the person, clad in back, stalked closer to the bench Grant was sat in with his back to them. They crept closer and closer, until they reached the tree only metres away from him. Bending down, they picked up a branch almost as long as their arm.

"Geez, this is it!" Fallow's panicked voice came over the radio. "Go, go, go!"

Riley felt her heart beginning to race as she swung the door open, clambering out and running after the others, her feet spraying up snow behind her as she raced ahead.

"Freeze!" She yelled, aiming her gun at the person in front if her. She didn't even remember taking it from her holster.

The person jumped, dropped the branch, turned to face them, hood falling down, to reveal... A very old, very bearded man. Riley lowered her gun.

"What?" The man looked dazed. "Are you the police? What have I done?"

"Name, please," Ordered Riley.

"Toby Garrett," He answered, arms raised, still shaking. "I work in the chemist down the road."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking my dog a walk."

For the first time, Riley noticed the large black Labrador sniffling around the bench Grant was now standing by.

"Then why were you picking up a branch?"

"To throw for him!"

Realising that Toby was probably telling the truth, Riley holstered her weapon. 

"Get his ID checked," She told Green. "We need to rethink this."

Morgan shook his head. "Face it Riley, we've blown it."

"No, no, no, we just need to regroup and we can go back to the stake out,"

"This is pointless!" Fallow shook his head. "We acting on a hunch and wasting valuable time! It's almost Christmas eve, and I want to be back in New York with my family,"