Mountain Peril. Sandra Robbins
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Danielle frowned. “But why are students frightened by this obvious prank?”
He nodded toward the computer. “Why don’t you read what it says next?”
Danielle turned back to the computer and read the lines printed underneath the flashing heading.
The Webster Falls, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Department asks for your help in the apprehension of Damien Carter, the chief suspect in the murder of Lila Barrett. The victim, a student at Webster University, was found on a Smoky Mountain trail outside of Webster Falls in September. Carter, also a student at the school, disappeared soon after the discovery of the body. Various sightings of the fugitive have been reported, but so far he has eluded capture.
Danielle shook her head and frowned. “We don’t have a Lila Barrett or a Damien Carter enrolled at Webster.”
Detective Denton nodded. “I know. When I went to the president’s office, his secretary told me.”
Acquaintances of the suspect report the young man had become obsessed with murders on college campuses and had often threatened to wage his own rampage across the country. Having been blackballed by a fraternity, he harbors animosity against anyone belonging to a Greek organization. Students enrolled in institutions of higher learning are warned to be on the lookout for this suspected killer. If he is seen, notify the Webster Falls, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Department at once.
Danielle leaned back in her chair and pointed to the screen. “I can’t believe this. Who would construct such a Web site?”
Detective Denton glanced down at the notebook. “Actually we know. Our tech guys traced the Internet Service Provider and found out the Web site owner is Flynn Carter.”
Danielle sprang from her chair. “Flynn?” she screeched. “He’s my work study student and Tricia’s boyfriend. Why would he do this?”
“That’s what I need to find out. Can you get Carter in here?”
She reached for the phone, but her hands shook so that it slipped from her fingers. Clutching it with both hands, she brought it to her ear. “Betty, would you find out what class Flynn Carter is in and get him to my office right away?” After hanging up, she glanced at the detective. “Is there anything else?”
Detective Denton nodded. “There are pages of forensics information, a picture of the victim and killer together before the murder. There’s even a page with pictures of the suspected killer at places all across the country—Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, a museum in Oklahoma City, Graceland. It says these photos were sent to the department by tourists who just happened to catch him in their family vacation pictures.”
Danielle clicked on the page with the photographs and gasped. “That’s Flynn in those pictures.”
“That’s what I suspected,” Detective Denton said.
She started to speak, but Flynn shuffled into the room. Wearing faded jeans with blown-out holes and a muscle-fitted, sueded cotton shirt, he looked like any other Webster student, not the designer of a gruesome Web site. His bleached hair tumbled over his forehead, and he glanced from one to the other, before he settled a deadpan expression on Danielle. “You sent for me, Dr. Tyler?”
She nodded in Detective Denton’s direction. “This is Detective Jack Denton, an investigator with the sheriff’s office. He’d like to ask you some questions.”
A crimson flush spread across his face and forehead. “What about?”
Danielle sucked in her breath and frowned. She opened her mouth, but Detective Denton interrupted her. “I’m here investigating a complaint I had today and need to ask you a few questions.”
Flynn tensed. “Fire away.”
“Are you responsible for the Web site that claims to document the murder of a Webster student?”
Flynn’s body relaxed, and a smirk crossed his face. “Yeah.”
The detective’s mouth thinned into a straight line. “Can you explain what made you construct such a site?”
Flynn chuckled. “What’s the big deal? It was just a joke. You know, shake some fraternity and sorority kids up a little.”
Anger flashed on Jack Denton’s face, and he advanced on Flynn. “I don’t consider it a joke when our department gets calls from parents in other parts of the country who have kids scared to venture out on their college campuses.”
Flynn glanced at Danielle. “You mean they thought it was real?”
The frown on Detective Denton’s forehead deepened. “Yeah. There’s no telling what harm your little prank has caused. With all the crazy people out there, all it would take would be for one to see your site and decide to copy the murder.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Nobody would do that.”
Detective Denton jabbed his finger at Flynn’s chest. “Look, Mr. Smart Guy, if you could see all the information that comes across my desk about copycat crimes, you’d have thought twice before you put up that Web site.”
Flynn gritted his teeth. “I can’t help it if there are crazy people out there. It has nothing to do with me or my Web site.”
“Well, just to make sure, our department wants you to take it down.”
Flynn shook his head. “You can’t make me do that. My dad’s a lawyer, and he’s taught me all about my rights. I haven’t broken any laws, and you know it.”
“That remains to be seen.”
Flynn started to respond, but Danielle interrupted him. “I suggest you do as the detective tells you, Flynn, before your enrollment at this university is affected.”
Flynn’s eyes widened. “Dr. Newman wouldn’t kick me out, would he?”
Danielle nodded. “You involved the university when you depicted the murder scene of a former student. Since that case has never been solved, you used information from an ongoing investigation.” She paused and took a breath. “And I might add that in all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you act as disrespectful as you have today. Now unless the detective has more questions, I want you to leave.”
Detective Denton held up his hand. “I do have one more question. What about the pictures on the Web site of you at different spots across the country? How did you pull that off?”
Flynn pulled his attention away from Danielle and faced the detective. “That was really cool, wasn’t it?” A laugh rumbled in his throat. “A friend and I drove from California when we came back to school. We stopped at tourist attractions along the way. We’d spot a family group. I’d walk over close to them, and my friend would snap the picture. I posted them and said they were pictures sent from people who caught a killer by mistake on their vacation photos.”
“Humph!” The snort reflected the disgust on Jack Denton’s face. “That’s all the questions I have at this time. I’ll be talking to you later, though.”
Flynn glanced from one to another before he whirled and stormed toward the door. When he’d left, Danielle turned back to the detective. “I want to apologize for Flynn’s behavior.”
Detective Denton closed his notebook and smiled. “I’m used to it. That’s one of the hazards of police work.”
Danielle walked around her desk and stuck out her hand. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.” He grasped her hand, and his touch warmed her cool skin. She pulled away and flexed her fingers. “What will you do next?”
He glanced at his watch. “I’ll talk to the district attorney. See if we have legal grounds for making Carter take the site down.”
“Will you do that today?”
“I don’t know. I’m expected in court to testify in a case.