[10:27AM, Karellon University maintenance shed]
Landing in the gravel yard of the maintenance shed, Kate grimaced at the patch of thistles that hadn’t been visible from the other side of the fence and quickly pulled off the one that had attached to her stocking. Not too much damage, though, she noted before turning her attention back to the buzzing sound.
The yard itself was unkempt and appeared deserted. Old soda cans and weathered cigarette butts were scattered everywhere. Styrofoam cups and food wrappers remained where they had been dropped in spite of the presence of a huge trash dumpster near the gate. A pair of willow trees attempted to screen from view the pile of rusting lawn mower parts and saw blades and assorted broken tools. The gate was locked from the outside with a thick chain and heavy padlock identical to the one on the door of the shed.
Kate made her way around the side of the shed. The buzzing came into sharper focus as she neared, coalescing into what sounded like the warning tone of a vehicle when the keys have been left in the ignition. She could also hear voices now, very low and nearly drowned out by the buzz. A tree grew at one end of the shed, between it and the fence, leaving barely enough room for a person to slip by. At the other end, where Kate was standing, the passageway between the shed and the dumpster was too narrow for a vehicle to pass through. Someone would have to move the dumpster, pull a car in, and then move it back. There was only one reason for such surreptitious behavior, Kate thought.
One hand on her gun, Kate pressed against the side of the shed and peered cautiously around the corner. A campus police car was parked there, lights still on and the driver’s door hanging open. The voices were coming from the radio. She didn’t see anyone inside. Approaching it slowly, she recognized the number printed on the side of the unit. Quinn’s car, but had he left it here, or had someone else?
There was no indication of anyone being dragged from the car, nor were there any apparent signs of a struggle. If Quinn had been in the car when it was parked here, she saw three possible places where he might be now. Careful not to touch anything unnecessarily, Kate eased the keys out of the ignition, went around to the trunk of the car, and opened it. She found nothing inside except the required first aid kit, blanket and flashlight. Borrowing the flashlight, she went to the tiny window in the shed. Shining the light into the dark interior of the shed, she could just make out the outline of a leg sticking out from behind a work bench.
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