Great Deception

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was now 5pm the next day and turning dark quickly. A light snow was falling, covering him as he lay there watching the house. The blue rag that was covering the rifle was now almost totally camouflaged by the snow. It took patience to lay there waiting for just the right moment. The darkness and snow cover concealed him better than he could have hoped. The cold, however, was beginning to seep through his clothing. It surprised him a bit because he had chosen what he thought would be the perfect white ski suit for the occasion. There was no doubt that he could withstand the discomfort, but it was not pleasant and it caused him to shift his position from time to time while he waited for the bedroom light to go on where he knew the target would soon be revealed. Thirty minutes later he still lay there. This gave him time to think, causing his resentments to grow. He wondered why his hatred continued to grow. He knew it wasn't rational, but he let it be anyway.

After forty five minutes the light flashed on turning the moon's reflection on the window off. A space between the two windows blocked the shot. After a moment the target moved past the window to the left too fast to focus on. The shooters trigger finger began to itch and a light film passed over his right eye. Blinking it away he lost another moment that he might have taken a shot. Being a patient man normally, he found it a little surprising that he was getting a little jumpy. This had taken much longer than he had hoped and the cold continued to creep into his bones. Once more the target appeared briefly so he took the shot. It didn't need to be perfect.

Moving slowly and deliberately he made sure everything was as he had planned. This was the most important part. He then hustled into the woods leaving clear footprints in the new snow. The prints led directly to the car parked under a street light directly across from several houses . Someone would have taken notice of it and its distinctive color. Before pulling away, he sat there with the interior light on and punched in Sullivan's number.

Sullivan tapped his phone and read the brief message. “It's as I promised u better get moving”

His phone then jingled, “Ann, are you okay?”

“Someone just shot at my mom. I'm on my way over there now,” Ann said in a controlled panic.

Knowing what was going on, “I'll meet you there. For God's sake be careful. Where is Adam?”

“Our neighbor Ruth was at the house when I heard and she agreed to stay with the baby.” She then turned off her phone.

“I'm going to get the local police to send a cruiser to watch our house again,” he said before he realized she had hung up.

Sullivan and Ted arrived a minute before Ann, but a few minutes after the local police had arrived. She came skidding in just behind their cruiser.

Ted nudged Sullivan toward Ann's car. “Take care of her, I'm going in.”

Ann was at Sullivan's elbow a moment later. They hustled up to the house and found her parents huddled on the front stairs.

Her mother stood when she saw them coming. She was barely five foot with thinning gray hair. Reaching out, Ann threw her arms around her mother, who was trembling. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, just a little shaken is all.”

Looking at her dad who was now standing beside her mother, “How about you dad?” Her dad was at least six foot tall with a full head of silver hair.

Bending over to kiss her on the cheek, “I'm fine,” and now looking at his wife while putting one arm around her shoulders. “I'm just concerned about mother.”

“I don't want either of you worrying, I'm a tough old broad,” her mother said.

Sullivan was now standing next to Ted in the bedroom inspecting the hole the bullet made. “He is either a very bad shot or he wasn't trying to hit anyone.”

“I think he was just sending you a message,” Ted said.

“ Maybe so, but I can't take any chances. Now how do I get my family out of harms way.”

“Tomorrow we meet with Andy and Madison. They might need to take a trip to Minnesota,” Ted said.

“That's an intriguing idea. Ann has mentioned she wanted to get away for a while.” Turning, “Let's see what we can find outside.”

Going out the side door, they turned right and walked back to the tree line where they suspected the shot came from. In moments they found where the shooter had laid. They also found a partially used tube of lip balm right under where the shooter had sprawled out.

“Is it really possible that he could have been this careless?” Ted said.

Taking a small plastic bag out of his jacket pocket, Sullivan turned the bag inside out and scooped up the tube. “Usually these perps are not the brightest bulbs.”

“But, this careless? I guess stranger things have happened,” Ted said scratching his head, “I guess the lab should get some DNA and maybe a finger print.”

“It seems too easy. Just like the last one.”

“Yeah.”

“Get Andy and then Sheila from the night crew and have them interview the people who live in those houses just beyond the wooded area. It is obvious by the tracks that that is where he ran out,” Sullivan said.

“I'll get them here as quickly as possible,” Ted said as he stepped away walking back to the house and giving them each a call. Stopping and swiveling back with his phone still in his hand. “Do you want me to get the tube to the lab?”

“No, I'll pass it off to one of the techs,” Sullivan answered. He then went back to the house avoiding the shooters shoe prints in the snow. Without looking back and motioning with his hand, he shouted, “Make sure the techs take a look at these prints.” He then took a plastic bag from his pocket, tore it length wise and laid it over a print to protect it from being covered by snow that, by the looks of the sky, could start falling again any minute.