CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

 

 

May 16, 2015

7:10 P.M.

McCall, Idaho

 

Lott couldn’t believe that Williams was taunting them at this point. He had to know he was trapped like an animal in a hole.

But just the sound of the man’s voice sent chills down Lott’s back. And made him angry. The images of that dead woman sitting in the car floated back like a ghost and he shook it away.

As Williams had spoken, all four of them had eased away from the wall and farther apart, each seeking some cover in the trees.

“Detective Lott, you two are sure a long ways from home. What brings you out of Glitter Gulch to the beautiful mountains of Idaho?”

“Tracking you down,” Lott said, his voice angry as he motioned for everyone to ease back farther from the building.

“And who is the detective with you with the sharp eye?” Williams asked. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.”

“Detective Julia Rogers,” Julia said into the air. “Your goons killed my best friend Trish.”

“I have never had the pleasure to meet a Trish,” Williams said.

“We know,” Lott said as Agent Munn indicated they should keep him talking and all of them should keep easing back to find cover. From what Lott could tell, more than a dozen agents would be here in minutes.

“Sheriff Blake and Andrews killed her because she saw the last body dump,” Julia said. “She was living in the home on the lake where you stashed all your victims.”

There was silence. Finally Williams said, “So you have the killers. Why are you hounding me?”

“Because we have tracked all the mortuary trucks you used to transport your victims,” Lott said. “The last poor woman was rescued in Seattle before you left the city. She can identify you easily.”

There was again silence.

Lott glanced at Agent Munn who nodded and indicated help would come pouring in within two minutes.

“Come on, Williams,” Lott said. “You know you want to let us in there to show us your trophies.”

Williams laughed. “No one but me will ever see these wonderful prizes I have accumulated over my lifetime. They are my intimate moments with women of my dreams.”

“That’s just sick,” Julia said.

Williams laughed. “Detective, each person has their own ways of finding love in the world. Too bad you didn’t know about your husband for so long?”

Julia’s eyes went wide and she glanced at Lott.

Lott was stunned. Clearly Williams had known about what they were doing for some time.

What the hell was happening here?

They hadn’t been trapping Williams, he had been trapping them, cleaning up his messes as he went along. More than likely that entire building was rigged to explode.

Lott waved Agent Munn and Julia and Annie back and pointed to the lake. Then he mouthed the word, “Run!”

“And you know what, Detective Lott?

“What?” Lott asked, backing up slowly as Agent Munn, Annie, and Julia turned and ran for the lake edge down the shallow slope.

“No one will ever know for sure if I was killed here or not,” Williams said. “Isn’t that just ironic? No real trace will ever be found.”

“It doesn’t have to end this way,” Lott said, still backing slowly up.

Williams laughed, the pure evil sound echoing through the dark trees. “Detective, it was always meant to end this way. You detectives just don’t ever see the long game, do you? You are all the same.”

“Williams…” Lott started to say, but was cut off.

“Detective,” Williams said. “You bore me. Goodbye.”

Lott turned and sprinted to the edge of the lake as Julia, Annie, and Agent Munn went into the water and ducked under.

The explosion smashed Lott in the back and he flew down into the water and the blackness that cold brought with it.