Code 61 - Donald Harstad [165]
We stationed Borman and Byng at the top of the shaft, as the rest of us backed off and questioned Toby.
We were in a hurry, but we really needed the basic layout of what Toby called “the crypt.”
He said the elevator shaft went to a section of the sand mine that had been closed off for years. There were five big chambers, and Dan had appropriated two of them.
“They're both on your right as you get off,” said Toby.
“Dan got any guns down there?” asked Lamar.
“Guns? No way. He doesn't need guns. You'll see.”
“Knives, though?” I asked.
“Yeah. He's got knives.”
I wanted to ask why the knives if he didn't need guns, but didn't. Time was short.
“How do you see down there?” I asked.
“Turn on the lights,” he said.
“What?”
“Yeah. I mean, nobody uses the mine, but it still has power. For inspections, I guess. We just tapped into the wires in the main part of the mine. That's all.”
Well, sure. “And that's what powers the elevator?”
“Yeah.”
“How loud is it?” asked Lamar.
Toby looked bewildered. “I don't know … compared to what?”
“Can Dan hear it coming down, Toby?” I asked, as patiently as I could.
“Oh! Oh, I think so. Yeah, unless he's in the far chamber, and then if he has the music on, probably not…. ”
“Music?”
“Yeah. Dan plays the music really loud when he gets into a mood. Hey,” he said. “He's got all the comforts of home. You're gonna be surprised at what's all down there. It's beautiful!”
“I expect I will,” I said. Then I tossed him a tough one. “Is that where Edie was killed? Is it the crypt?”
He went pale. I think he'd been getting into the whole pursuit thing, and had lost his sense of the real situation.
“Is it?” asked Lamar.
Toby nodded, but didn't speak. That was probably just as well.
“Well,” I said, “let's get going.”
Lamar called one of the troopers back at the house, and had him collect flashlights from the assembled cop cars, and bring as many as he could. They were all rechargeable, and good for at least three hours each.
Lamar took me aside. “You sure he's down there?”
“Nope. But Huck's gone, and didn't have to be if he wanted to off her on the spot. Okay … and she's not anywhere in the house. So that would either leave here, or he's got her to some transportation, and they took off.
They didn't go by us last night at the gate. Nobody did. So the egress point to the house is here. The elevator's at the bottom, but that doesn't mean much. They seem to be able to get out the main entrance, too.”
“Okay.” He really sounded horrible.
“I think he got into the mine last night, or at least yesterday sometime. We were trying to track his progress with stolen car reports, but they could have lagged a couple of hours or more.”
Lamar nodded. “Two hours, easy.” It was almost funny, the way he tried not to talk, and lost.
“Last night, Mr. William Chester made an appearance. Up in here.” I pointed to the general area, and then to the ravine. “Came up that ravine where we spotted him Monday. His car was parked down at the bottom. We followed him, not too far from this place, and Sally and I went down the ravine, and we sent Borman around the bottom. We lost him.”
Lamar looked surprised.
“Yeah. Well, anyway, while we were chasing the goddamned vampire hunter, the vampire was paying a visit to the house. Far as I can tell.”
Lamar shook his head. “Too bad,” he managed to get out.
“No shit. I dunno, though. The silver lining might be that I don't think Dan Peale knew we were up here last night. I think he might think he's gotten away with something. That he has some time to play with.” I looked at him squarely. “But, no. No, I don't know if he's down there. But I think he is.”
We decided that Byng, Borman, Sally, and I would go down, two at a time, via the shaft. Another group headed by Lamar would