A Killing Frost by Michael A. Black

Author:Michael A. Black [Black, Michael A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: private detective thriller
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2016-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

The truck continued north. I kept behind it only long enough to get the plate number on the trailer. I didn’t want to risk getting in front of them to try and get the plate off the tractor. There was no other lettering on it that I could see. The diamond-shaped placards had nothing displayed. The highway was pretty deserted and I figured it would be easy for them to spot a tail. The truck seemed to be sticking to the highways rather than cutting over to the expressway where it could make better time.

But there usually were no state troopers on the highways. Since taking over all the Chicago expressways, they were spread pretty thin. Most local coppers receive little training in truck law enforcement. The driver was keeping well below the speed limit. I wondered what his game had been, using the frontage road instead of pulling around to the front of the building to the main road. And why hadn’t he turned on his lights until he’d driven a good distance on the roadway?

There were enough questions to keep me guessing. I dropped back farther until the truck’s tail lights were like small red dots. We took Central Avenue north through the expansive forest preserves that proliferate the south suburbs. At 159th the truck coasted up to a stop light and I turned off into a Dunkin’ Donuts so they wouldn’t see me pull up behind them. When the light changed the truck turned and went east. I waited a few seconds then followed.

They turned north again when they got to Cicero. The traffic picked up slightly as we entered a more populated area and I was able to stay slightly closer. But at Route 83 the truck veered left and went through the intersection going in a northwesterly direction. Route 83 was one of the few major roadways that ran on an angle and this particular stretch was only two lanes. If I followed they’d surely pick up the tail. Instead, I pulled into the parking lot of a shopping center and doused my lights.

This time of night the center was deserted so I was able to run somewhat parallel. I was doing great keeping them in sight when I saw the red and blue lights behind me. A spotlight hit my rear-view mirror and the siren sounded. I pulled over and watched the truck continue out of sight on the roadway.

It took me about ten minutes to talk my way out of a ticket for driving without my lights. I explained to the cop who I was and that I was attempting to follow a truck. He listened patiently and went back to his car to run me through the computer. When the license plate came back to Doug Percy, he came up and ran the VIN. I showed him the police stickers on the window and explained why I had the car. By the time he let me go the truck was nowhere to be found.

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