north. Another thought the van had turned left on Cretin, which takes you south toward Ford Parkway through a much more residential area. When Mac thought about it, he bet it was a right turn to the interstate, the quickest way out of the area.
“Man, it’s like yesterday,” Lich said. “People see parts but not the whole thing.”
“I hear ya,” Mac said, shaking his head. “The whole thing happens fast. Before anyone really realizes what happened, these guys are gone like that — ” He snapped his fingers.
“In broad daylight no less,” Lich said, shaking his head, chewing harder on his unlit cigar.
“In the chief’s city, Dick. Not in Minneapolis. Not in some suburb. But in his own fuckin’ backyard.”
“These guys are good,” Lich said. “They’re really good.”
“They scouted this, Dick.” Mac agreed. “They knew she worked today. They knew when she would be coming and where she’d be coming from. They timed it perfectly. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t have someone watching her on campus and following her over here, over what, the six or seven blocks from campus.”
Lich looked at Mac closely.
“Is anyone pulling surveillance footage on campus?”
Dick was right. Mac whistled to Odegard and Goth, two uniform cops who quickly came over.
“Go over to St. Thomas. Find out what class Flanagan was in. Get campus security and get their surveillance footage. We think someone might have been giving these guys the eyeball.”
The two officers nodded and jogged away.
The two detectives stood with hands on hips for a few minutes, peering around, contemplating what happened and their next move. Mac took a white hanky out of his pocket and wiped his forehead. He could feel the sweat forming on his body. Lich broke the silence.
“You don’t suppose,” he asked, “there’s something the chief and Lyman don’t want us to know, do you?”
“What the fuck?” Mac growled, turning on Lich, getting in his face.
“Easy partner, easy.” Lich replied, putting his hands up. “I know how close you are to the chief. But we got two girls missin’ here. So somebody ought to ask the hard question. Were the chief and Hisle up to something?”
“No way,” Mac replied, shaking his head.
“Well they sure as hell pissed someone off,” Lich replied.
“They did, but no way. Not in a million years,” Mac answered coolly. He pulled his sunglasses off to look Lich in the eye.
After a minute, Dick backed down and shook his head.
“I don’t think so either.”
“Then why the fuckin’ question?” Mac asked.
“Because your ability to detect bullshit is better than anyone’s I’ve ever seen,” Lich replied. “If you’re not thinking that, then I feel better, that’s all. But Mac,” Dick continued, “the question had to be asked and you know it. And I’ll tell you another thing: I’m not going to be the last one to ask it. You know King Burton and his pinstriped FBI court will be thinking it. And take a look at the frickin’ media. They’ll be taking connections, conspiracy theories, and scandals before 5:00 and they’ll be doing their own investigating on this, prying into the lives of the chief and Hisle.”
Mac nodded quietly, knowing his partner was probably right. He’d have probably asked the question himself but for the fact the chief was involved. But then something else occurred to him.
“You know how I said last night this could be personal? That maybe it wasn’t just about money?”
“Yeah.”
“Well I’m right. If you just want money, you don’t kidnap the chief of police’s daughter in his city.”
“The chief has money, Mac,” Lich answered. “His wife’s family. The money from the logging up north. They’ve got millions.”
“Sure, we’ll get a ransom demand,” Mac said, shaking his head, waving Lich off. “But there’s more in play here — a lot more.”
A uniform came running up.
“Mac. They got an explosion over near Lake Street behind an old abandoned building. Black Chevy Express Cargo van.”
8
Smith backed the van into the garage and punched the button that closed the garage door. Carrie Flanagan lay still, finally done with her frantic squirming. A pillowcase covered her head and duct tape covered her mouth. Smith opened the sliding door to find Dean, David, and Monica pulling their ski masks back on. He pulled his own back on, then knelt down to Carrie and slid the cover off her head. He spoke softly.
“Carrie, we don’t want to hurt you,” he said, his hand placed lightly on her stomach. “We’re not going to hurt you. We’re not going to rape you. That was not why we’ve gone to all this trouble, okay? I want you to nod your head that you understand.”
Flanagan nodded. Smith continued.
“I know you’re afraid, but I want you to understand that we’re after money. You’re simply a means to an end. Once we get what we want, we’ll let you go. Okay?”
Flanagan nodded.
“Good, Carrie. If you play ball, things will go better.”
She nodded her head one more time. Smith smiled through his black mask.
“We’re going to move you inside the house now. You can’t break free, so it will be better for you to just be still and let us carry you, all right?”
She nodded again.
The brothers lifted her out of the van, Dean carrying her under the arms and David by the feet. Flanagan was relatively light in their arms, although a little heavier than the petite Hisle. Smith opened the door to the basement bedroom and Shannon Hisle turned her head to see them coming in.
“Carrie, like I said, we have no desire to hurt you,” Smith repeated. “Over on the other bed is Shannon Hisle. Do you know who she is?”
Flanagan nodded.
“She has her arms and legs cuffed to the bed, but she hasn’t been harmed in any way.” Smith looked over to Hisle. “Shannon, you haven’t been harmed, have you?”
Hisle shook her head.
Flanagan nodded, but she still had a frantic look in her eyes. Smith wanted her calm.
“We’re going to do the same with you. It will be easier if you just let us do it, okay? We’re not going to harm you, all right?”
Carrie nodded again, but the eyes were still wide.
The two brothers laid her on the bed. David got on top, sitting on her waist and holding her down while Dean cut away her restraints. He cuffed her arms and then her legs to the bed. Once she was secure, David eased off and moved back while Smith sat on the edge of the bed.
“Carrie, I’m going to remove the tape, okay?”
She nodded.
“Don’t scream.”
She nodded again.
“Because if you do scream, I will have to hurt you.”
Carrie looked over toward Shannon, who nodded back. Carrie looked up at the masked man and nodded her head.
“Okay, this will hurt a little,” Smith said as he yanked the tape from her mouth. Flanagan gasped for air,
