Page 16 of Her Final Hours (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #3)

I t was to be a long overdue conversation.

The way Noah saw it, he could kill two birds with one stone.

He’d never been one to confront his father, but ever since he’d learned about his involvement with the Ashford family, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mutually beneficial arrangement he’d made.

Of course, there was the matter of the missing girls.

If he could have circumvented talking to him about it, he would have, but with so many years passed and the way policing had evolved, most of what was known might have been buried inside his mind instead of in paperwork.

Before he could ask his questions, Hugh told him to swing by as there was someone at his door. The conversation ended abruptly, and he groaned at the thought of having to visit his father’s home nestled on the serene Mirror Lake.

Noah maneuvered carefully through the snowy streets .

As he got closer, the scent of pine needles and fresh lake water permeated the air, bringing tranquility and nostalgia.

The cold breeze took the bite of winter as it prepared for its final dumping of the season.

So many memories had been created there, combining good and evil, where nature converged with his past.

As the Bronco rolled to a stop in front of the two-car garage, he noted how winter had blanketed the house in a thin layer of snow, casting a serene and frigid beauty over the property.

The grandeur of the place struck him again.

The house stood stoically, its rustic charm blending seamlessly with picturesque surroundings accentuated by the glistening snow that adorned its roofs and windowsills.

The exterior boasted a combination of weathered wood and stone as if the very essence of the Adirondacks had been harnessed to construct it.

Icicles hung delicately from the eaves, their icy fingers reaching toward the ground.

The once lush greenery had now been transformed into a winter wonderland, with snow-laden pine trees framing the property.

As soon as he arrived and got out, he felt the chilly bite of the air, causing his breath to form a misty vapor. Noah squinted at a “Coming Soon” real estate sign standing outside amidst the snow. The name of Kerri Sutherland, his brother’s widow, emblazoned on the sign, tugged at his heartstrings.

Moving toward the house, he steadied himself, preparing for the emotionally charged encounter that awaited him. He knew the conversation wouldn’t be easy, but the urgency of the situation propelled him forward.

He immediately heard a commotion near the entrance, urging him to quicken his pace. The front door stood partially open, revealing a glimpse of the chaos within.

“Dad? Hey, Dad,” Noah said, entering the house. The sound of a fan whirling, attempting to disperse cool air and dry paint, caught his attention.

Inside, Hugh was engaged in a heated exchange with a painter. He was positioned on the stairs, his voice a mix of frustration and anger. The chaotic scene, with drop cloths covering furniture and the smell of fresh paint, only added to the disarray.

“You are going to have to take it back. That’s not the paint I asked for. Like seriously, how hard is it to get the right paint?”

“Sorry, Mr. Sutherland, there must have been a mix-up at the hardware store.”

“Sure, sure, like they’re in the habit of doing that. They mix based on the color you choose. I told you to get White Kitten. Does this look like White Kitten?”

Hugh paused his tirade and turned toward Noah.

His brow furrowed, reflecting annoyance.

“I know we said we’d talk, but this might not be a good time.

” He turned to continue to argue when Noah pulled him away, and they went into the kitchen.

“What is going on? Why are there so many people at the house? And what’s with the coming soon sign outside? ”

Hugh let out a sigh and ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “It was a last-minute decision. I’ve decided to sell the house. Kerri is handling the listing.”

“Sell the house? But this place has been in our family for generations. What about Mom? And why now?”

“Mom is gone, and it’s time for a change.

The memories, the weight of the past… it’s becoming too much for me.

I need to move on, find a new chapter in my life,” he confessed, his voice tinged with vulnerability.

“And it just so happens a property will be on the market soon that I simply can’t pass up. ”

“Is that so? And where might that be?”

“On High Peaks Lake.”

“You’re already on a lake. I don’t understand. ”

“No, you don’t because if you did, you wouldn’t have tossed back the gift.”

Noah looked bewildered for a second, then suddenly, the penny dropped. “You’re moving into my house, aren’t you?”

“Your house? You never owned it. You rent. Hell, by the sounds of it, you didn’t appreciate it. So I’m taking it.”

“But…”

“It’s already done. Besides, from what Natalie Ashford told me, you made a big fuss about it. How could you embarrass me that way?”

Noah shifted from one foot to the next. “Hold on a second. First, you never told me the Ashfords owned that place; second, you never told me you are in bed with them.”

“In bed? What are you talking about?’

“Partnership. You scratch their back; they scratch yours. The moving of the thin blue line.”

“I do a little business. I’m not sure of what concern that is to you.”

“A lot, especially when the people you do business with step over the line.”

Hugh looked utterly perplexed. “You’re losing me.”

“What kind of business are you doing with the Ashfords?”

Hugh turned and began to make some coffee. “How about we have a drink? I think the caffeine might clear your mind.”

Noah darted in front of him. “Don’t dodge the question. What business are you doing with them?”

“Real estate, son. Now can you step out of the way?”

Noah relented. Yet the tension in the air didn’t dissipate but only increased.

“Is this why you came over? So you can rake me over the coals about my decision to sell this house?”

“If you want to sell the house, that’s your decision, but why didn’t you tell me about the house on the lake? ”

“Because I knew you would have this reaction. And because I’m not going to have some son of mine spending months over at Gretchen’s or in some shithole of an apartment while you get your life together.”

“Get my life together? What’s that supposed to mean?” Noah asked.

“I know you are seeing a therapist. Perhaps it will help you. But a word of advice, don’t let it get out that you are going there. People around here might see that as a form of weakness.”

“Weakness?”

“Uh-huh,” he said.

“You know what, dad. Things might have been different if you had visited a therapist years ago. Have you ever thought about that, or are you too proud to admit that you had problems?”

“Oh, please don’t drag me into your issues.”

Noah jabbed a finger at his own chest. “My issues. You haven’t the faintest clue, do you?

Well, let me enlighten you. Are you aware Ray tried to take his life a few months ago?

I pulled him out of a river. Or that he owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the casino?

A casino, I might add, that is owned by the same people you are in bed with — the Ashford family.

Or how about that a gun was held to his head by the same people if he didn’t pay.

.. or that I handed over what little I had in savings to get him out of that situation so that he wouldn’t have to come crawling back to you? Does any of that sound like my issues?”

Hugh turned, frowning. “Take his life? Ray? You must be confused. Ray is and has been the most stable one out of all of you. Next to Luke, rest his soul.”

Noah laughed. “You really are out of tune with your family if that’s what you believe. You know what, fuck this shit. If you want to keep believing that, go ahead. But the next time you want to toss me a bone, tell me. Because I might throw it back when I discover it came from a dead man’s bones.”

“Dead man’s bones? Now you’re making no sense.”

“Dad, I’m the only one that has been talking sense to you for years, but you have never listened. You never do. So if you’re giving advice, let me give you some of my own. Call Kerri and tell her you’ve changed your mind and stay as far away from the Ashford family as possible.”

“A little late for that,” Hugh said.

Noah tried to read his expression but Hugh turned away, leaving him to read between the lines.

“What kind of arrangement did you make with Luther Ashford while you were sheriff?”

“That is none of your business.”

“It is when our family is threatened.”

“I will handle that matter.”

“Will you?” Noah scoffed, shaking his head. He knew it wasn’t worth continuing to talk about it. Hugh would only skirt around it. Noah took a seat at the kitchen island, chewing over the conversation. Hugh returned with a pot of coffee a minute or two later and set it down.

“Son, there are matters that you won’t understand, and right now, I can’t tell you anything, but… just know that what I do or have done has always been for this family. Now was that all, or was there some other pressing matter?”

As they settled in the kitchen, their mugs of steaming coffee providing a much-needed respite from the cold outside, Noah shifted gears and brought him up to speed on the situation with the girl found in Westport.

The weight of the conversation hung in the air; both men were aware of the gravity of discussing Payton.

Leaning forward, Noah cleared his throat, knowing that asking his father to remember was like taking a stab in the dark with all the talk of him having early Alzheimer’s.

“I need to know more about Payton’s case.

The further back we go, the less there seems to be.

You were sheriff at the time. What do you remember? What leads were there?”

Hugh’s weathered face softened; lines of concern etched across his forehead.

He took a deep breath, his gaze distant as he delved into his long-buried memories.

“Noah, those cases… they went cold. The truth is, we didn’t have much to go on.

Back then, the resources were limited, departments in different counties didn’t communicate as they do now, DNA was in its infancy, CCTV, and cameras on phones not even heard of, and as time passed, the leads grew sparse. ”

He paused, his eyes searching Noah’s for understanding.

“When we renovated the office, most of the case files were boxed up and put into storage. But over the years, some of it got misplaced, maybe even tossed out. The evidence went missing, and what little remains is likely in containers at the old station. It’s been years since I was in office as sheriff, so I can’t say for certain what’s left.

” He glanced off to his right and sighed.

“And well, Sheriff Roberts took over from me, and we all know how that turned out.”

Noah’s heart sank at the revelation. The realization that not only had crucial information been lost or discarded but that Daniel Roberts may have purposely destroyed it before he was convicted of corruption.

It only added another layer of frustration to the already elusive nature of Payton’s disappearance.

He clenched his fists. “There has to be something,” he implored, his voice tinged with desperation and determination.

“Not unless that girl’s memory returns.”

Noah sighed. “There must be more; some leads, suspects, or evidence overlooked. Is there anyone I can talk to, anyone you think might know more about that day and those after?”

Hugh shook his head, regret weighing heavily on him.

“ Noah, I wish I could help you more. The best I can suggest is reaching out to some of the old contacts, but the truth is, many have retired or moved on. The case grew cold, and its resources dwindled over time. It breaks my heart to say, but you might face an uphill battle.”

Noah nodded.

Hugh continued, “Of course, you could reach out to Payton’s family, but I expect you might not want to after all that transpired.”

The sting of blame pierced his heart as strongly as it did that day.

As he had been the last to see Payton alive, it was natural for her family to think he knew more than he did.

The truth was, he wasn’t the only one. There was Jenna Moulton, Payton’s best friend.

Her family eventually moved away from the area to avoid the scrutiny.

He wasn’t as fortunate, as his father was the sheriff.

His father had him stay clear of the Scott family since rumors abounded that Hugh was covering up for him.

It wasn’t true. None of the rumors were, but they had every reason to scrutinize him.

“Where is the family living now?” Noah asked.

“Clayton, New York.”

The thought of seeing them again only made him sick to his stomach.

“You can always speak to the lead investigator, Helen Peterson. She was the state investigator who was handling the case back then. She’s retired now and lives over in Tupper Lake. If anyone is going to remember, it would be her. Payton Scott became her Rebecca case.”

A Rebecca case — every investigator had one, an unsolved case that they obsessed over.

“And…” Hugh got up and crossed to the kitchen for more milk. “There was that other girl.”

“Jenna? ”

“That’s right. I remember her.”

“As do I,” he mumbled, his mind returning to the night Payton vanished. It had haunted him and driven him into law enforcement. His father liked to think it was because of him, but it wasn’t.