Chapter Three
The Chase
When they arrived at Dr. Salvinay's Veterinary, Jessica parked in the WaWa parking lot two buildings down and across the street. They were early by an hour. They both got coffee and sat in Jessica's car, waiting for the time of action.
"What's the plan?" Christi asked, sipping her cappuccino.
Jessica set down her mocha chino and steepled her fingers. "First we wait for Mr. Conston to enter the building. Then we wait ten minutes before entering. When we enter, we don't flash our visas until we get a chance to talk with him. Preferably in public, so he can't run without arousing suspicion, which he won't want to do. Then we talk to him, getting our answers. At gunpoint, if necessary."
Christi blinked. "Gunpoint?"
Jessica pulled out her handgun, keeping it under the dashboard so no one would see it and panic.
"Is it loaded?" Christi's voice was a whisper now.
"Of course it's loaded. Why would I carry a gun on duty if it wasn't loaded? Anyway, if we're lucky, we won't need this."
"The police weren't lucky with him. He's a greasy one, I heard. Always slipping up the officials. It was in his file."
"True. But we're not officials, now are we? Ah, here's greasy now."
A red sports car pulled into the parking lot of Dr. Salvinay's Veterinary, in one of the reserved spots. A Latino man of 5'4" got out of the front seat, and walked into the building.
"No veterinary assistant can afford a car like that with legitimate money," Jessica insisted.
"I know. lucky jerk." Christi stuck her tongue out at the sports car. "Now what do we do?"
"Now, we wait."
"For.?"
"For ten minutes, as I said before. Let him get into something first so he can't run away as soon as we walk in."
And so they waited. Christi, being impatient as she was, checked her digital wristwatch every five seconds. Time seemed to drag by so slowly that a snail could beat it by a mile in a race. Jessica's eyes were fixed on the building they were waiting to infiltrate. She occasionally flipped open her diamond studded gold pocket watch that had been passed down in her family from Sherlock Holmes's time.
Finally, the ten minutes were over. The two P.I.'s got out of the car and strolled casually to Dr. Salvinay's Veterinary. They walked inside, and went up to the receptionist.
"Good evening!" she said brightly.
"Good evening," Jessica replied smoothly. "We're looking for a Dr. Roberto Conston. Could we speak to him?"
"Oh, he's not a doctor, just an associate. He specializes in canine treatment." Jessica, of course, already knew that Roberto was no doctor.
"I see. Well, may we see him?"
"Of course! Would you like to speak with him in the lounge?"
"Right here is fine, thank you."
She turned on the intercom and spoke into a desk microphone. "Calling Mr. Conston, Mr. Conston. You're needed at the front desk."
The Latino man from earlier, now wearing a white doctors coat, came out in a few minutes from one of the doors labeled "Employees Only". He spotted Jessica and Christi.
"Oh, you must be the couple from yesterday. I'm afraid you'll have to wait another two hours before your dog's out of surgery."
Both P.I.'s raised an eyebrow. They had been called many false things- sisters, officials-but never a couple. Jessica interrupted before he could continue.
"I'm afraid we haven't been here before just now, Mr. Conston. We are P.I.'s, hired by the state police, trying solve the recent serial killing case, and we-"
Jessica and Christi had just pulled out there visas when Roberta bolted to the door, white as a ghost.
"Stop!" Jessica shouted, streaking after him in a heartbeat. "STOP HIM!"
He had gotten into his car and started it by the time the two P.I.'s reached the door. They ran for the car, but it came right at them. The two dived out of the way as the car left the lot and sped down the road.
"C'mon!" Jessica shouted. They ran to her 4-wheel drive and chased after him, their siren ear-splittingly screeching. Christi radioed the station.
"Come in, come in, this is Helmstar and Walt, headed east down Blue Mill Drive, chasing Roberto Conston in a red Chevy with a license plate number E47B81. He is majorly resisting arrest, so I need some back up, pronto!" She slammed the walkie-talkie back on its stand. There was a moment of silence.
"Ten-four, back up's on the way," a voice cackled over the radio.
"Nice people skills," Jessica commented. Christi blushed.
Meanwhile, Jessica swerved in and out of lanes, gaining on Roberto bit by bit. He made a sharp right onto an empty road, and Jessica followed as Christi updated the station.
Roberto had obviously made a mistake in coming onto this empty road. Jessica easily caught up to him, honking her horn loudly.
"STOP, DAMMIT, STOP!" Jessica roared out the window.
Unfortunately for her, he did. Jessica gasped and slammed on the emergency brake. The airbags activated, and the two pounded them down. By the time they were free of the safety device, Roberto was out of sight.
"DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT!" Jessica shouted, and then, from behind them, they heard the sirens of approaching police cars. "Dangit!" Jessica pounded on the dashboard. "Those danged officials are too late! He got away!"
The Chase
When they arrived at Dr. Salvinay's Veterinary, Jessica parked in the WaWa parking lot two buildings down and across the street. They were early by an hour. They both got coffee and sat in Jessica's car, waiting for the time of action.
"What's the plan?" Christi asked, sipping her cappuccino.
Jessica set down her mocha chino and steepled her fingers. "First we wait for Mr. Conston to enter the building. Then we wait ten minutes before entering. When we enter, we don't flash our visas until we get a chance to talk with him. Preferably in public, so he can't run without arousing suspicion, which he won't want to do. Then we talk to him, getting our answers. At gunpoint, if necessary."
Christi blinked. "Gunpoint?"
Jessica pulled out her handgun, keeping it under the dashboard so no one would see it and panic.
"Is it loaded?" Christi's voice was a whisper now.
"Of course it's loaded. Why would I carry a gun on duty if it wasn't loaded? Anyway, if we're lucky, we won't need this."
"The police weren't lucky with him. He's a greasy one, I heard. Always slipping up the officials. It was in his file."
"True. But we're not officials, now are we? Ah, here's greasy now."
A red sports car pulled into the parking lot of Dr. Salvinay's Veterinary, in one of the reserved spots. A Latino man of 5'4" got out of the front seat, and walked into the building.
"No veterinary assistant can afford a car like that with legitimate money," Jessica insisted.
"I know. lucky jerk." Christi stuck her tongue out at the sports car. "Now what do we do?"
"Now, we wait."
"For.?"
"For ten minutes, as I said before. Let him get into something first so he can't run away as soon as we walk in."
And so they waited. Christi, being impatient as she was, checked her digital wristwatch every five seconds. Time seemed to drag by so slowly that a snail could beat it by a mile in a race. Jessica's eyes were fixed on the building they were waiting to infiltrate. She occasionally flipped open her diamond studded gold pocket watch that had been passed down in her family from Sherlock Holmes's time.
Finally, the ten minutes were over. The two P.I.'s got out of the car and strolled casually to Dr. Salvinay's Veterinary. They walked inside, and went up to the receptionist.
"Good evening!" she said brightly.
"Good evening," Jessica replied smoothly. "We're looking for a Dr. Roberto Conston. Could we speak to him?"
"Oh, he's not a doctor, just an associate. He specializes in canine treatment." Jessica, of course, already knew that Roberto was no doctor.
"I see. Well, may we see him?"
"Of course! Would you like to speak with him in the lounge?"
"Right here is fine, thank you."
She turned on the intercom and spoke into a desk microphone. "Calling Mr. Conston, Mr. Conston. You're needed at the front desk."
The Latino man from earlier, now wearing a white doctors coat, came out in a few minutes from one of the doors labeled "Employees Only". He spotted Jessica and Christi.
"Oh, you must be the couple from yesterday. I'm afraid you'll have to wait another two hours before your dog's out of surgery."
Both P.I.'s raised an eyebrow. They had been called many false things- sisters, officials-but never a couple. Jessica interrupted before he could continue.
"I'm afraid we haven't been here before just now, Mr. Conston. We are P.I.'s, hired by the state police, trying solve the recent serial killing case, and we-"
Jessica and Christi had just pulled out there visas when Roberta bolted to the door, white as a ghost.
"Stop!" Jessica shouted, streaking after him in a heartbeat. "STOP HIM!"
He had gotten into his car and started it by the time the two P.I.'s reached the door. They ran for the car, but it came right at them. The two dived out of the way as the car left the lot and sped down the road.
"C'mon!" Jessica shouted. They ran to her 4-wheel drive and chased after him, their siren ear-splittingly screeching. Christi radioed the station.
"Come in, come in, this is Helmstar and Walt, headed east down Blue Mill Drive, chasing Roberto Conston in a red Chevy with a license plate number E47B81. He is majorly resisting arrest, so I need some back up, pronto!" She slammed the walkie-talkie back on its stand. There was a moment of silence.
"Ten-four, back up's on the way," a voice cackled over the radio.
"Nice people skills," Jessica commented. Christi blushed.
Meanwhile, Jessica swerved in and out of lanes, gaining on Roberto bit by bit. He made a sharp right onto an empty road, and Jessica followed as Christi updated the station.
Roberto had obviously made a mistake in coming onto this empty road. Jessica easily caught up to him, honking her horn loudly.
"STOP, DAMMIT, STOP!" Jessica roared out the window.
Unfortunately for her, he did. Jessica gasped and slammed on the emergency brake. The airbags activated, and the two pounded them down. By the time they were free of the safety device, Roberto was out of sight.
"DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT!" Jessica shouted, and then, from behind them, they heard the sirens of approaching police cars. "Dangit!" Jessica pounded on the dashboard. "Those danged officials are too late! He got away!"