Deadly Stillwater by Roger Stelljes Read Free Book Online

police to report every little thing, distracting them from the task at hand. It was perfect.
    And then he smiled again.
    If people were hysterical now, just wait until his next plan went into effect.

 
     
     
    5
     
    “ Only the paranoid survive.”
     
    It was after midnight when Mac pulled back into Lyman’s driveway. The crowd had thinned some, but there were plenty of folks hanging around, family, friends, and media, all hoping for a break.
    The group made its way back to Lyman’s office and found him, the chief, Burton, Duffy, Peters, and the mayor quietly talking. For now, it appeared that the chief, the mayor, and Duffy were all tolerating one another. The chief had to be chafing. They learned on the way back that the mayor wanted the FBI to take a prominent role and had essentially forced it on the chief. Mac imagined that, when they got in private with no mayor, no Duffy, and no Burton around, the chief would swear a blue streak.
    “Nothing, I assume?” the chief said.
    “We crapped out,” Riles replied.
    “No surveillance cameras?” Burton asked.
    Everyone just shook their heads.
    “Probably wouldn’t have mattered,” the chief said. “I know the place. It’s right on County 24 up there and when he pulls out of the parking lot….”
    “He’s got options,” they all replied in unison.
    “Plus, if the abduction is any indication, even if there was surveillance or we got a plate, I’ll bet you it was stolen,” Mac said. “These guys have thought this through. They knew exactly what they were doing and were gone like that.” He snapped his fingers, a little admiration in his voice.
    The group hashed over the abduction, River Falls and Clearwater all over again, but a sense of helplessness, at least for the time being, pervaded the room. If there were to be any progress, it would come from Lyman’s files, some tip, or a mistake by the kidnappers. Finally, the chief suggested Lyman try to get some rest.
    “One thing I want to do first,” Lyman said as he reached inside a duffel bag. “I prepared a couple of these black bags while you were gone.” He handed one to Mac and one to Riley. “The bag contains a vial of Glucagon, a needle, and a syringe. You would administer this if her sugar is too low.”
    “Wouldn’t she need insulin?” Mac asked.
    “She may and I’ve included a vial of that as well. I’ve also included a spare glucose meter. If you find her, depending upon when and the last time she took insulin and depending upon what her blood sugar is, she may need either Glucagon or insulin. Are you familiar with this Mac?”
    “I used one once,” Mac said.
    “Me, too,” Riles added.
    “Good. But as a refresher for you guys, here is what you do.” Hisle showed the group the contents and instructed them in administering the proper dosage.
    Mac asked the hard question.
    “How long can she go without insulin?”
    “It’s hard to say,” Hisle answered. “She has had some episodes in the past where she went without insulin for just a few days and got very sick. So it depends upon when she last took insulin and I suppose whether she has any with her and they let her take it. If she hasn’t been diligent and she doesn’t have any with her she could have issues within a few days. So it just depends on when she last had insulin. Did you find her purse at Cel’s?”
    “No,” Mac answered, “Just her cell phone and keys.”
    “Well, if they have her purse, hopefully she’ll have an extra dose or two with her. She should. I’ve always told her she needs to do that, but she’s a college kid. If she has insulin with her and they allow her to take it, she shouldn’t have a problem, at least not for a few days. If she doesn’t have insulin with her, she doesn’t get the proper food, and then if this goes for a while, it could be an issue, a big issue.”
    “What do you mean by a big issue?” Mac pressed.
    “If she goes too long without insulin, she can become disoriented