A/N: A shout out to my anonymous reviewer. Glad you liked it! :)
Chapter 20
"You sure this is the place?" Elliot asked as he pulled the car over to the shoulder on the opposite side of the road from the address they had been looking for. According to state records, the home was in the name of Martin Price's grandmother. It was in the little town of Beacon, New York. A hop, skip, and a jump from Fishkill Correctional, which was actually located in Beacon, and only an hour and fifteen minute drive from Manhattan. While Tucker and Cassidy were talking with Fin and Rollins, Elliot and Nick had met Munch at the diner and hightailed it out of town.
"According to the records…" Munch shrugged.
"My guess is that someone hasn't lived here in a long time," Nick commented as the sun began to dip below the horizon.
"Someone is paying the utility bills," the elder man said. Just then they heard the sounds of sirens and saw the flashing lights. Elliot quickly grabbed the map off of Munch's lap and stashed the GPS under his seat. An officer for the City of Beacon walked up to the window and shone his flashlight in through the window as Elliot lowered it.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" The officer eyed the map and the two men in the front seat while his partner eyed Nick in the back seat.
"Just a little lost and thought we should pull over Officer," Elliot smiled slightly.
"Well that is a good idea. You don't have a GPS?" The officer asked.
"John likes to do things the old fashioned way and I decided we could indulge him for a short trip," Elliot continued to smile.
"All right then. Where are you headed?" His partner wanted to know.
"Fishkill. We've heard great things about the golf up here and thought we'd check out the course. Get some fresh air too," Elliot lied.
"Oh well then you can still get there from here with no trouble, although I don't think you'll be getting in a round today, given the time of year and the weather," the first officer commented.
"We have rooms at the local Holiday Inn. We're just looking to check out the course for the bachelor party this summer. This one is getting married and he wanted to get out of the city for the party," John spoke up as he jerked his thumb toward Nick, who smiled. Only the Holiday Inn part was actually true but it seemed to fool the officers.
"Ok then. Well make sure you take Route Fifty-Two to the I-Eighty-Four and look for exit thirteen. It'll put you near your hotel," the officer nodded.
"Thanks," Elliot smiled and the two officers started heading back to their car. Elliot fired up the engine and checked the roadway before pulling back on. All three breathed a sigh of relief when the officers decided to turn around and head back toward where they had come from, instead of following them.
"That was close," Munch said.
"Once we get checked into the hotel, let's make sure we take the bus back into Beacon. The car makes us a target," Elliot told them.
"Agreed," Nick nodded as his partner turned the car onto I-eighty-four and headed toward the Holiday Inn.
A couple hours later, after the sun had gone down, they walked away from the bus stop and headed back up toward the house. The streets were quiet, which wasn't a surprise, given the cold and the snow.
"We couldn't do this when it warmed up a little?" Munch asked.
"Not if you want to catch this guy," Elliot smirked as they carefully strode down the icy sidewalk. The street lights illuminated the path but Elliot knew they could be a hazard given what they were trying to do. Taking a quick peek around, he and his two friends ducked up the snow filled yard and reached the home. Keeping low they headed toward the back of the house. All three drew their weapons and looked around for signs of life.
"It seems pretty dead here. Who would still be paying the utilities?" Nick wondered.
"Try the back door and we'll find out," Munch offered. Elliot took the knob of the door in his hand and attempted to turn it. Much to their surprise the door was unlocked. Elliot realized that in order to see they would need their flashlights. He turned his on and carefully entered the home.
To Be Continued…