Page 87 of Race to Save Her

“Still…” he said. “Wait, I just received an email from Detective Stern from Rockview PD. It says that kids from a nearby property were the ones shooting at us.”

“What?” she said moving closer to McGaven. “No way. What kind of guns do they have?”

“It says they had two AR-15s and several nine-millimeter handguns and didn’t think anyone was there to be in danger. The ballistics report confirms the bullets were from their weapons.”

“I can’t believe that.”

“Yeah, it does sound fishy. Think the kids were put up to it?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” said McGaven.

“Did Stern attach reports?” she said.

“Yep. I’m looking now.”

The printer woke up and began printing pages.

“Detective Stern seems like a standup guy,” she said. “Good detective to know, but this report seems not completely standard.”

McGaven read the reports from the boys who weren’t boys—they were nineteen and twenty-one. “Casey Day and Timmy Archer.”

“Okay…” Katie looked at the maps and saw Brandon’s house marked. She had another map that was more detailed and she looked at the address, 1400 Pasture Lane, which was a small farm. “Look at this.”

“Could someone shoot at a manufactured home and not see us?” said McGaven.

Chris chuckled from the corner. “No way.”

“There were no charges laid,” said McGaven. “Something is not making sense here.”

“We need to talk to them,” she said.

“I think I have something,” said Chris. He stood up and moved next to the detectives. “Look at this. It’s the papers for the ownership of the cabin. Looks like it’s under the name Martin Sills. That part is true. But… and this is interesting… it seems Sills owns three other properties.”

“Where?” said McGaven.

“A house in Rockview, some property in Pine Valley. The property looks like something that was inherited and is really old. It was never developed. And… some commercial area that used to be some type of scrapyard.”

Katie looked at McGaven. “Looks like Sills has been busy. I wonder who gets the properties after his death?” she said.

“I’m sure we’re going to find out.”

“Great work, Chris,” said Katie.

“This case is so interesting and complex,” he said with a grin. “But I didn’t see any other family mentioned anywhere—like, who would inherit the property.”

McGaven laughed. “I think you have the makings of a detective. So you can have one of the last pieces of pizza.”

They both laughed.

“May I see those deeds?” Katie said. She marked Sills’s other properties on the overall map. They were designated in a different color until the detectives had checked them out.

McGaven’s construction license listings began to print.

As Katie heard McGaven and Chris joke and talk about the case to release the pressure they were all feeling, she couldn’t help but think where she fit into all of this—with the killer’s plan.

FIFTY-TWO

Sunday 0005 hours