The Empty Chair (Lincoln Rhyme 3)

"Keep him that way. And don't let him near your weapon."

"I won't. I'll call you when we have Mary Beth."

"Sachs--"

The line went dead.

"Damn," the criminalist muttered. He closed his eyes, tried to shake off the headset in fury. Thom reached forward and lifted the unit off his head. With a brush he smoothed Rhyme's dark hair.

Lucy hung up the phone in the other room and stepped inside. Rhyme could tell from her expression that the trace hadn't worked.

"Pete said they're within three miles of downtown Tanner's Corner."

Mason muttered, "They can't do any better than that?"

Lucy said, "If she'd been on the line a few minutes longer they could've pinpointed her down to fifteen feet."

Bell was examining the map. "Okay, three miles outside of downtown."

"Would he go back to Blackwater Landing?" Rhyme asked.

"No," Bell said. "We know they're headed for the Outer Banks and Blackwater Landing'd take him in the opposite direction."

"What's the best way to get to the Banks?" the criminalist asked.

"They can't do it on foot," Bell said, walking to the map. "They'll have to take a car or car and a boat. There're two ways to get there. They could go Route 112 south to 17. That'll ta

ke them to Elizabeth City and they could get a boat or keep on 17 all the way to 158 and drive to the beaches. Or they could take Harper Road.... Mason, you take Frank Sturgis and Trey and get over to 112. Set up a roadblock at Belmont."

Rhyme noticed this was Location M-10 on the map.

The sheriff continued, "Lucy, you and Jesse take Harper down to Millerton Road. Set up there." This was H-14.

Bell called his brother-in-law into the room. "Steve, you coordinate communications and get everybody Handi-talkies if they don't already have them."

"Sure thing, Jim."

Bell said to Lucy and Mason, "Tell everybody that Garrett's in one of our detention jumpsuits. They're blue. What's your girl wearing? I don't remember."

"She's not my girl," Rhyme said.

"Sorry."

Rhyme said, "Jeans, black T-shirt."

"She have a hat?"

"No."

Lucy and Mason headed out the door.

A moment later the room was empty except for Bell, Rhyme and Thom.

The sheriff called the state police and told the detective who'd helped them with the mobile locator to keep somebody on that frequency, that the missing person might call in later.

Rhyme noticed Bell pause. He glanced at Rhyme and said into the phone, "Appreciate the offer, Pete. But so far it's just a missing person. Nothing serious."

He hung up. Muttered, "Nothing serious. Jesus, our Lord..."