CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

 

August 14th, 2015

10:45 A.M.

Outside of Las Vegas

 

LOTT SAT BEHIND the wheel of the SUV, letting the air-conditioning blow directly on his face.

They had managed to talk Annie out of going into the mine after they came out and had just gone back to the car to call for help.

Annie was about to call 911 as they got out of the intense heat and into the car when Andor stopped her. “We need to get the chief out here and only a few detectives he can trust.”

Lott had turned to look at his partner as he wiped down his face with the iced towel, then put it back on his neck.

Julia was looking as if she was in complete shock.

“Why?” Annie asked, still holding her phone.

“The last thing we want to do is force this sicko to go to ground at this point,” Andor said. “This creep has been thinking he can get away with this for fifteen years. We need him to keep thinking that for just a few more days while we track him down.”

“You think we’re closer now than an hour ago?” Julia asked.

“I do,” Andor said and Lott was starting to understand what Andor was talking about.

“We now will have the entire force back on this case,” Lott said. “Combine all those resources with the resources of Fleet and Doc and the four of us and we might stop this guy if we keep this discovery silent for just a day or so.”

The car was filled with only the sounds of the blowing air-conditioning. More than anything, he wanted to get home and take a long, long shower to get the smell off, but he knew that wasn’t going to be possible for some time now.

Andor started to dial his phone. “I’ll get the chief out here. And he’s going to have to pull some strings with the State Police as well to keep this under wraps, if he agrees.”

Lott nodded. Beside him Julia nodded as well.

She had been supportive of him going into this, now he eased his hand over and touched her leg to offer his support in return.

She smiled and put her hand on his and then nodded that she would be all right.

Lott knew she was one damn tough cop. She would be affected by what she had seen in that mine, but she would be all right in the long run.

“At least we have closed eleven missing persons’ cases today,” Lott said softly, “and given some families some closure.”

Julia nodded and took a deep breath of the cool air pouring over her.

Lott glanced back over at the mine. They had left it open, the boards pulled to one side.

He really wasn’t looking up at the mine, just at it across a small distance from the road.

And he suddenly had another idea.

He turned in his seat to look at his daughter as Andor waited for the Las Vegas Chief of Police to come on the phone.

“Can you get Fleet and Doc to search records of abandoned mines in a fifty mile radius of Las Vegas,” Lott asked.

“They have already done that,” she said. “There are upwards of five hundred.”

“Have them sort the mines for elevation to the nearest road,” Lott said, pointing over at the mine. “Use this mine as a baseline.”

Julia looked at him. “You think our perp doesn’t like to carry bodies up hills?”

“That’s exactly what I think,” Lott said as Annie smiled and pulled out her phone. “I think he did that from that school bus and never wants to do it again.”

“I’m going to tell Doc and Fleet what we found,” she said, nodding. “I’ll tell them we’re going to try to keep it under wraps for a day or so.”

Lott nodded and about that point Andor got on the line with the chief.

Annie climbed out into the heat and closed the door quickly.

“Chief,” Andor said. “The gang has something and it ain’t pretty. No announcement to anyone, just grab a few detectives you can trust to keep their mouths shut and a couple of forensic boys and get out here.”

Andor nodded. “Chief, just trust me. You need to see this and we need to keep a lid on it for a day or so if we’re going to catch this bastard.”

Andor nodded at what the chief said, then said. “You know the cold case we are working with the eleven dead women? We’re at the same mine. Directions are in the file.”

Andor then hung up and nodded to Lott, who had turned and watched him talk to the chief. “He’ll be here in thirty minutes without fanfare. He said he’ll look at the situation and decide.”

At that moment, Annie climbed back in. Just less than a minute in the sun had her sweating.

“Fleet’s people are running the mine elevations in relationship to nearby roads now and will text the results to me shortly,” Annie said, digging into the cooler for a bottle of water. “Both Doc and Fleet will be on their jet and headed this way in an hour and will be in town in the middle of the afternoon.”

“Good,” Lott said. “We’re going to need as much help as we can get very shortly.”

Julia frowned. “Why do you say that?”

Lott pointed over at the mine. “There were eleven women in there. One year’s worth if this sicko is doing what we think he’s doing.”

“It’s been fifteen years,” Julia said softly.

“Shit,” Andor said.

“There are fourteen more mines full of bodies,” Julia said, her voice gaining strength with each word.

Lott nodded, trying not to let the image of those eleven mummified women in that mine come back to his mind.

“We need to find those other mines,” Lott said, “and then put it all together and stop this. And fast.”