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As Paul passed through the tollgate, he noticed the camera photographing his license plate. Probably the student hadn’t yet reported his car missing. Even if he had, Paul assumed it would take a while before the stolen license plate number went online.

And what if there were an APB out on him? Wasn’t there a way to find out? There had to be.

He saw a sign for the town of Somerset and pulled to the side of the road. All he knew about Somerset was that it was a town in Pennsylvania. He called the Somerset Police Department. It had to be a small department, Paul thought. Where people were friendly, neighborly. Unlike a big-city police department.

The phone on the other end rang and rang, ten rings. He hung up and hit Redial. On the second try, someone answered. It sounded like a woman with a deep voice, but he wasn’t sure it wasn’t a man.

“Somerset Police. Is this an emergency?”

“Um, I know this guy, I overheard him talking, and he may be wanted by the police or the FBI or something. And I want to see if there’s a reward if I turn him in.”

“Who is ‘this guy’?” the person said.

“I’m not sure, but I heard the name ‘Brightman’?”

He was obviously fishing, but the clerk said, “Hold on.”

The clerk got back on the line thirty seconds later. “There’s a reward of half a million dollars,” the person said in a louder voice. “If they apprehend him based on the information you provide, you get five hundred thousand dollars. You can give me the information, or else you can call the anonymous tip line.”

“I’ll do that,” Paul said and disconnected the call.

The FBI was offering half a million dollars for information leading to his arrest. Half a million dollars . Once it was put up on the internet, that information would motivate a lot of people.

Instead of taking a bus, he would continue on to D.C. He found the nearest gas station and filled up.

Back behind the wheel, he observed the speed limit, stayed in the right lane as long as he could stand it.

He knew only one way out of the situation he was in. One way forward, and that way was littered with obstacles and filled with risks.

He called the only person in the FBI he knew he could trust.