Clem jumps down from the cab, grinning.
“Yikes,” he expresses.
“No shit,” I respond.“I have a feeling this situation is going to have a long tail.”
“On a bunch of different levels,” he contributes, then he looks over my shoulder at the vehicles on the other side of the tree blocking the road.
“I don’t think I can fit both of those vehicles on the flatbed.”
“I see what you mean.What do you suggest?”
He shrugs.“I’ve gotta clear the tree and pull the Mercedes free anyway, so I may as well load that up first.I can come back or send one of the guys to grab the SUV, once I unload this one at the shop.”
It makes sense.It’s not like Missy Gentry is gonna need her Porsche anytime soon.No more driving for her today.
“Maybe we can put it behind one of the buildings up there to at least get it out of sight,” I consider out loud, looking at the dirt road leading up to the quarry.
“Sounds good to me.I’ve gotta admit, I’m curious as to what the hell they were doing up at the quarry in the first place.Wouldn’t mind poking around.”
I grin up at him.“You and me both.”
With the tree moved to the side of the road, and the mayor’s mangled Mercedes loaded up on his truck, Clem gets behind the wheel of Missy’s SUV and follows my cruiser up the road.The fresh tracks lead me to a smaller, flat-roofed building that looks like it was used as an office.We pull around the back, where I let Clem pass so he can park the Porsche out of sight of the road.
“This is where they must’ve parked before,” I tell him, as I get out of my vehicle.“I followed the tire tracks straight back here.”
Both of us start moving toward the rear entrance of the building at the same time, but when I try the door, I find it locked.Clem is already trying to rub the dust and grime off the single window at the back.
“I can’t really make out much,” he announces, making room for me to try and peek in.
It’s dark inside and I see little more than shadows, maybe some furniture but nothing distinguishable.
“Maybe the front is open?”I suggest, although if they bothered locking the back, it’s unlikely they left the front door wide open.“I’ll go check.”
Clem stays behind as I walk around the side of the building.There’re two more windows on the side, but both have closed blinds, as does the larger window next to the front door.It’s locked as well.
What I wouldn’t give to have a look inside.I know Rick Althof was up here not that long ago, but he would’ve been more interested in the larger buildings, potentially able to store vehicles.I don’t think he’d have given this office building more than a cursory glance.
I don’t really have cause to force my way inside without a warrant so, unfortunately, I’ll have to tamp down my curiosity.
But when I round the back of the building, I find Clem smiling wide, standing beside a wide-open door.
“What the hell?”
He dangles a bunch of keys.I recognize the Porsche logo on the key chain.
Well, I’ll be damned.
“I figured it couldn’t hurt to try,” he says with a shrug.Then he asks as an afterthought, “This doesn’t constitute breaking and entering, does it?I mean, she gave me the keys herself.”
But I’m already slipping past him into the dark hallway the door opens up to.There’s no harm done in looking.
“Isn’t there a light somewhere?”Clem grumbles behind me.
In the sparse light coming from where we came in, I can see the outline of a door at the end of the hall, and two more on the right side.I locate a switch beside the first one on the right, and flip it.Instead of the hallway lighting up, a strip of light appears along the bottom of the door and I pull it open.
“It’s a bathroom,” I announce, but Clem is already poking his head over my shoulder.
“Smells like soap in here,” he observes.
