Tolerance Book III

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty: Faith

Sheriffs' Office

Once hostilities had ceased Peters had proven to be a source of immense local knowledge.  It transpired  he had  become a Deputy after moving to Littleton over eighteen years previously and now considered the small hamlet his home.  It had been that sentiment which  initially sparked his less than friendly behaviour.  He took the responsibility of protecting and serving the townspeople very seriously.  With his concerns assauged he was eager to help the Out of Towners.  Once appraised of the cabin they had traced to Billings the Sheriff had explained its' location nestled amongst  woodland.  As he had pointed out although the trees would provide some cover for anyone approaching the dwelling there was a clearing surrounding the structure that meant a stealth breach was likely to be impossible.  Mouse had questioned the security measures in place but the Sheriff couldn't confirm if surveillance cameras had been installed since his last visit to the property two years earlier.

"Why did you go there the last time," Voight checked.
"It was just a routine health and safety visit.  We were notifying Residents to put measures in place to be ready to evacuate if a wildfire changed its' course.  I spoke to one ....  Marsha Simmons," Peters spoke after checking his notes then recalled, "late 40s, brunette, quite pleasant lady."
"No sign of Billings?"
"No. She said she had been renting the place for the previous five months."
"Did she offer up contact details for Billings?" Al wondered, the Sheriff would have been obligated to notify the Homeowner of the possible danger.
"No mention of Billings. The Landlords' name was  .....," Peters looked at the page before him and paled.
"What is it?" Voight demanded.
"The Landlord  ......," the robust man shrink back into his chair before reluctantly divulging, "was a ....  Jay Halstead."
"Hell!" Adam cursed setting off a round of expletives before a sharp whistle silenced the office.
"So we know he always intended to wind up here," Voight grimly noted once he had everyones' attention.
"I'm sorry," the Sheriff hastily apologised, he hadn't gone over the old notes prior to the mens' arrival.
"Not your fault," Al shrugged off the genuine regret, the man was not to blame, "so when you tried to contact 'Jay Halstead' what happened?"
"I made four attempts to reach him but there was no response."
"So you left it?" Antonio checked mildly.
"I followed up again with Ms. Simmons but she had no other contact details.  So how long has Billings actually owned the property?" Peters asked a question of his own.
"Ten years," the IT Specialist disclosed without looking up from the monitor on his laptop, he was doing a deep dive into Marsha Simmons' background.
"Who was there before Simmons?"  Kevin asked.
"As far as I am aware it had been vacant for a long time but a Management Company was keeping an eye on it.  I'll make some enquiries."

It did not sit well with the Chicago men or the unusually quiet New Yorker that their friend could be close by but had no knowledge of their presence.  They were all eager to reunite with the green eyed Detective and return the Killer to his just confines of a prison cell where he could no longer kill.

Cabin

As the silent impasse dragged on Jay decided he needed to get the Killer talking in the hope he might get distracted, however unlikely that possibility was.

"You've clearly researched  ..... investigated ..... me. Why do you think I would do what you ask?"
"Because despite all your popularity you are a Killer like me."
"Didn't know I was popular," Jay shook his head, purposefully ignoring the latter part of the response.
"No need to get an inflated ego," Billings insisted, "people are easily led.  They hear rumours and believe them."
"Rumours?"
"Oh come now Detective you must be aware of the reputation you have amongst fellow Snipers."
"Never took much notice," Jay replied honestly, he had of course heard different things over the years but never allowed himself to get carried away by glowing comments.
"In any event," the older man became stern and continued in an agrieved tone, "you have killed many people ..... just like me.  You however are hailed a Hero and I'm depicted as a Villain!"
"I'm not a Hero.".
"At least we agree on that!" Billings noted with smug satisfaction.
"But you are a Villain," the green eyed Detective decided blunt honesty might trigger the mans' volatile nature and rattle him enough to get the upper hand.
"Considering  I am holding a winning hand, so to speak," the Killer gestured to the vials beside him, "you should be more interested in appeasing me than antagonising me."
"You're going to do what you want irrespective of what I say," Jay shrugged, his instincts were telling him being submissive was the wrong approach yet he had to refrain from being too forceful, so continued masking his wariness, "what do you want me to do?"
"I already told you."
"So I shoot you with this," Jay raised up the gun in his hand, "and  what? You're dead and you figure you've won because then I'll be a stone cold Killer .... like you."
"Sometimes choices really are that simple," Billings noted with a marked lack of concern.
"I still don't know if those vials are lethal or not."
"If they are and hundreds die because you couldn't do one little task .....," the older man spoke menacingly as he let the ominous words trail off.
"Can I ask another question?" Jay deliberately sought permission, to feed into the illusion his Nemesis was in full control.
"If you must."
"You could have disappeared and lived out your life free.  Why choose death?"
"There could be any number of reasons ...,"
"..... 'could' be but what's the real one?"
"Maybe I've grown weary of this world and want to shove off this mortal coil."
"There are easier ways to do that than walking into traps."
"Detective your traps have never stopped me," Billings reminded condescendingly, "and I knew the latest one wouldn't either.  Now how about you quit stalling and make up your mind? This could all be over quickly."