Page 81 of Operation: Silent Angel
“Flores is my next call,” Garcia said.
“Was anyone besides the four men in the cabin over the week?” Cooper asked.
“Not in. They had one visitor the night before they checked out, but he didn’t step foot inside. He knocked, and Fees stepped out to talk to him. Woods is trying to get an ID on him,” Garcia said.
“Get us a photo; we’ll take a look around for him, though if he was a guest in another cabin, I’m sure he’s checked out by now,” Cooper said.
“The police would have a record of him,” Mac said. “Have Woods run his picture against all the names of the people the police interviewed who were guests at the campground.”
“He already is,” Garcia said.
The four men’s text notifications chimed.
“Just sent the picture,” Garcia said.
Mac checked his phone. “No fucking way.”
The three other men stared at him after checking their phones. None of them recognized the man with the mullet.
“This is the bartender from that bar across the lake,” Mac said, holding his phone and the picture up.
“Get us an address for him, Garcia,” Cooper said.
“Calling Flores. Surely Williamson knows where the man lives. It’s a small town,” Garcia said before he disconnected the call.
Three minutes later, Cooper’s phone rang. “Flores.” Cooper put the call on speaker. “I have you on speaker. What do you have for us?”
“According to Williamson, Billy Lane Smith is not just the bartender at the bar. He owns it,” Flores said. “And he lives above it.”
“Does he live alone?” Cooper asked.
“Yes, though Williamson said he is known to have a woman by the name of Peggy Sue Draper sleep over on a regular basis.”
“Thanks, we’re going to confront him. You two stay with Williamson; we’ll let you know if we need you,” Cooper said and then disconnected the call. “Let’s go.” He grabbed the car keys from the table where they lay. Flores had the other pickup truck. Mac slid his boots on and rushed out of the door to join the others, forgetting to grab his coat. The forty-eight degree air instantly invaded him.
Before he pulled away from the cabin, Cooper placed a call to Garcia and told him their plans. The call was on speaker. They heard the keys of the keyboard clicking rapidly as Garcia attempted to pull any info on Billy Lane Smith and the lakeside bar.
“Identification as William Lane Smith confirmed from his driver’s license,” Garcia said. “And the bar is his listed address.” More clicking. “Getting a registered owner by the name of William Ray Smith, and oh, our boy, Billy Lane Smith, has a criminal record, armed robbery in Mobile. He served seven years out of ten, and was paroled ten years ago.”
“Who is William Ray and where is he now?” Mac asked.
“I’m checking. Go on comms and I’ll notify Ops for you,” Garcia said.
“Thanks, Garcia. We’re pulling up in front of the bar now,” Cooper said.
“What’s the layout of the place?” Cooper asked.
“There’s a dock around back and a deck with tables, a door leading into the bar. Inside, it’s mostly one room, the main bar area with a large oval-shaped bar in the middle of the room. The main door in was on the west wall. Back door on the east. On the north wall there're four doors. One is a bathroom; your guess is as good as mine as to the others, though one has to have stairs leading up to where this guy lives,” Mac said. “The south wall has dart boards and windows.”
“With the deck and dock and how the ground slopes towards the lake, it’s a long way down from the windows on the back of the building,” Robinson said. “He won’t be dropping out of them to get away.”
From the front of the bar, the roof sloped up to a pointed roof. There were no windows on the front of the building.
“Kegger and Ducky, you go around back. Mac, you’re with me.” Cooper’s gaze focused on the two men. “Let us know when you’re ready to make entry through the back. Mac and I will come in through the front, and we’ll locate Mr. Smith together.”
Robinson and Gallup ran to the side of the building and disappeared around its corner. Cooper and Mac approached the front door of the bar. After examining the cheap wood door and lock on the doorknob, and finding the door locked, they pressed their backs to the building on either side of the door, and they waited.
Several minutes later, Kegger’s voice came through comms. “Ready whenever you are, gentlemen.”
