Page 90 of In Cold Blood
It was a big risk venturing into the maze of corridors and levels.
Axel pulled on the leash, eager, ready to do his job, but wisdom told Noah otherwise. He backed out of the hotel but not before telling the staff to leave. They couldn’t evacuate the entire building without backup, it would have been suicide. He wasn’t wearing a vest and Cyrus had already taken a few potshots at them.
Callie appeared at his side.
“Local PD is on the way.”
The response was swift. Sirens wailed but before cops made it inside, the fire alarm rang out. Guests exited their rooms, filling the corridor. “Clever.”
Cyrus had pulled the alarm.
One by one they watched guests make their way out of the building. As multiple doors led out, there was any number of ways he could escape. Although everyone had been brought up to speed on what he was wearing, the opportunity to slip out of his clothes and switch into someone else’s was there.
Once everyone was out and accounted for, each room was cleared on every floor including staff rooms and cleaning closets.
It was an arduous task, but once done, Cyrus was nowhere to be found.
23
Saturday June 11, 2022
It was attempted murder.
In some ways, Cyrus Keller had done them a huge favor by opening fire. An additional break came in the form of the slick Pontiac Trans Am he’d crashed. A quick search of the abandoned vehicle yielded an interesting find in the glove compartment. It was registered to Harry Carter, and Cyrus was listed on the insurance as a driver. In addition to this was a small baggie of cocaine and paraphernalia in the console.
It was damning evidence but not enough to get a search warrant. That came after an anonymous caller alerted the local PD to a sighting of him back at the Pub and Brewery.
Now they believed he was there.
Sheriff Roberts had the judge up bright and early to sign the search warrant for High Peaks Pub and Brewery in the hopes of finding Cyrus or evidence that could uncover Harry’s involvement in Operation Heat Wave.
“I’m telling you, Luke is smiling down right now,” Noah said to Callie as multiple officers from local PD and the Sheriff’s Office arrived outside the establishment a little after eight the next morning.
Harry Carter was there to meet them.
He was a bulbous-looking man. The kind of individual that would have made a good poster child for obesity. His body dripped with wealth from the cream-colored tailored suit and red tie to the Rolex on his wrist and gold chain around his neck.
He was leaning against a Lexus and had this smirk on his face as they approached him. There was an air of pretension to him. A can’t-be-touched attitude that made Noah sick. He only hoped they found something so they could wipe it off his face.
“Officers.”
Callie handed over the search warrant. He didn’t even look at it. He simply gestured towards his establishment. “Feel free. Though you are aware this wasn’t necessary. We offer tours upon request.” He chuckled.
So smug.
“Do you also offer all your employees high-end cars?” Noah asked.
“Is there a crime against letting an employee use one of my vehicles?”
“That depends. Do all your vehicles come with a bag of coke?”
“I have no control over what they do inside it.”
“What about control over hiring or harboring criminals?”
“Criminals? Are you referring to the false case lodged against my employee that he beat in court? I have every right to help locals. Someone has to.”
“Certainly would make it easier to conduct criminal behavior.”
