Chapter Thirty-Seven

“Dispatch, this is car 214. We have a location on the blue Dodge Colt Sedan, license New Hampshire 3825 David. The car is empty. Please advise.”

“This is dispatch. Take no action at this time. Give us your location.”

Madison had been up all night filling out the murder book on the carnival murder when they called him about finding the car. Fueled by coffee, he drove too fast in the early morning rush hour traffic. He didn’t want the patrol officers to spook his suspect. If the guy was a serial killer, Madison wanted to be the one to collar him. A high profile arrest wouldn’t hurt his chances for making lieutenant.

The Apple Motel rented rooms by the day and by the week. A check showed this was the third week Reverend Parris had stayed there. Madison flipped open his phone and speed dialed his partner. “Hey, Tim. I need you to add room six of the Apple Hotel to the warrant for the car.” He added the Motel’s street address. “Get here with the Staties as soon as you can. I’d hate to lose this guy.”

“Jesus, Madison. Don’t you sleep?” Tim replied. “Where do you think I’m going to find a Judge at seven in the morning?”

“You’re Super Cop. I know you’ll figure something out.” He closed his phone. He ran through the case as he walked back to his car. He hoped Darren wouldn’t horn in on his bust. It was bad enough he needed to call the State Police in on this. It was unavoidable, because the guy’s motel was outside Skokie. The State Police would cover the jurisdictional issues when the suspect came to court.

The carnival girl’s story seemed credible, even though he needed to fill in some holes in her narrative. His instincts also told him something was going on with her and Darren. Whatever it was, he hoped it didn’t compromise the case. He’d have to question her about Darren as well. He really needed a few more hours in the day.

Getting into his car, he noticed a tall figure coming into the parking lot from a diner across the street. The mole on the man’s face was obvious even at a distance. Madison opened his phone, as if he were making a call. Shit, he thought. Please go into the room. No such luck. The guy got into his car and drove off. After a few seconds, Madison followed.

Following a car in the morning rush hour traffic wasn’t as easy as they made it look on television. He almost lost the guy in the streets leading to the freeway. He wasn’t too concerned. The blue Dodge headed in the general direction of the fairgrounds. “Going back to the scene of the crime, are you? I do love clichés,” Madison muttered. He got out his phone and let his partner in on what was happening.

“Do you think he’s after the carnival girl?” Tim asked. “Or he could be dumping evidence?”

“I doubt he’s getting rid of evidence. He wasn’t at all furtive,” Madison explained. “But going after the girl is a possibility. Why don’t you wait on checking the motel? We’ll pick him up when he comes back. I’ll keep following. Let’s give him a little rope and see if he hangs himself.”