Page 25 of Her Final Hours (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #3)
“Now, in the meantime, you can tell us why you were using Patrick’s van and what you know about the attempted abduction of a young girl here at the hospital.” Noah raised an eyebrow, expecting a reply .
“I can do one better for you,” he replied, his tone cocky and defiant.
Noah tilted his head, curious. “Yeah?” he prompted, eager for any lead to shed light on the case.
“I can tell you where to go fuck yourself,” the man retorted, a grin on his face. “Get me my lawyer.” Noah chuckled, appreciating the man’s audacity.
“Come on, let’s go,” he decided, realizing that attempting to gather information from him without grilling Patrick first would do little.
As they prepared to leave, Eduardo made a taunting comment toward Callie. “Hey, mamacita. Maybe next time I’ll put you on the floor,” he jeered, hinting at a physical confrontation. “I bet you’d like that.”
Callie turned back, her expression unfazed.
A smile danced as she shared in the dark humor.
She leaned over, playfully pressing down on the man’s wounded hand, eliciting a brief groan before she released it.
“Oh, sorry. They don’t give you much space in this room.
Well, you sit tight. I’ll get your cell ready and find that lawyer,” Callie said, full of sarcastic sincerity.
Outside the room, Noah turned to her. He had been admiring her keen eye back at the Fish and Game building, and the way she handled herself in an intense situation. “You just keep surprising me, Thorne.”
“That’s what your brother used to say,” she said. “What now?”
“Now we have a word with Patrick.”
The Adirondack Sheriff’s Office interview room was freezing because the power had gone out earlier, and something had blown on the heater, causing no end of trouble to the maintenance crew who’d come to fix it.
Through the one-way mirror, Noah observed Patrick Bromide, letting him stew in all the comfort of being alone in a small and cramped room that barely accommodated a worn-out table and three mismatched chairs. The claustrophobic space made it difficult for anyone to maneuver around comfortably.
“He seems too young to be involved,” Callie said.
“Mid-twenties, time for shoplifting. They are getting younger by the day.”
“I mean to be involved with some of the older cases. And what’s his angle?”
“That’s what I’m hoping to find out,” Noah said, going around to the door that led them in. The atmosphere in the room was heavy with anticipation as they prepared to question him.
“I’m freezing,” was the first thing out of Patrick’s mouth. “Do you think I can get a coffee or something?”
Callie went to get one.
As he settled in, Noah couldn’t help but notice the absence of warmth in the room.
A chilly draft swept in under the door, causing Patrick to shiver.
“Yeah, sorry about that. The power malfunctioned, but they managed to get it up and running. It should warm up soon. Heck, depending on our questions, it might warm up even sooner for you,” he said.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“No? What about lying?”
“I never lied.”
“You did to your old man. It seems old Pop isn’t too happy about all the attention you’ve sent him. Especially with him trying to help you out. You know, keep you on the straight and narrow.”
Patrick dipped his head. Callie returned and handed him a coffee. She took a seat beside Noah. “All right, I’m told you’ve waived your right to legal counsel.”
“I have nothing to hide.”
“Let’s hope so.” Noah took a deep breath and began the interview, his voice cutting through the cold silence.
He carefully chose his words to avoid provoking a defensive response, though he expected to get one either way.
“How about we start with the van? We know you didn’t drive it to the Fish and Game Hunting Club this morning.
So, tell me about that?” His words hung in the air, mingling with the visible vapor of his breath.
Patrick sat nervously in one of the creaky chairs, his hands fidgeting with anxiety.
The light cast shadows on his face, making it difficult to discern his true intentions.
Noah knew that gaining his trust and extracting information shouldn’t be too hard since he could be sent back to prison.
He exchanged a glance with Callie, silently reassuring each other of their resolve.
Simultaneously, Callie maintained a vigilant gaze, observing Patrick’s body language for any telltale signs of deception or nervousness.
“Eduardo asked me to borrow it.”
“And you just let him?”
“I didn’t want to, okay, but I owed him. He kept me safe when I was inside.”
“So what did he tell you he wanted it for?”
“You know, to carry a few things in.”
“Patrick.”
“I don’t know. He just said he needed it and had to pick up some things at a house on the east side. Because of his record, he figured the cops wouldn’t think twice if they saw one of our vans outside a residential area. What with us being 24-7 emergency on-call.”
Noah glanced at Callie. She’d said the same thing earlier .
“And you didn’t think that sounded a little odd?”
He shrugged. “I guess. But I brought it over last night, took everything out, and kept it in the club. I was about to load it in when you all came along.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Was there anything inside?”
He was hesitant to say anything. “Yeah. Some construction equipment. I figured it belonged to his buddy. He told me that he was getting into the construction business and that he and some guys had decided to go in on a company venture. A startup.”
Noah leaned over and whispered in Callie’s ear to check and see if there had been a report of any stolen property in the last twenty-four hours. She exited the room.
“And that was all. No mention of a visit to the hospital? A girl? Killing a cop?”
Patrick balked. “Killing a cop? What? No. Did he kill a cop?”
Noah didn’t answer that. “Did you see Eduardo last night after he came back?”
“No. Yes. I mean…” He squeezed his eyes shut.
“I saw him earlier. You know, before 7. Then this morning, I swung by. Listen, I swear I was at home at 8. You can ask my girlfriend; hell, you can even ask my neighbor. He saw me.” He let out a huge breath, clearly stressed.
“If I knew this would be a problem, I wouldn’t have let him use it. ”
“If this is confirmed, you know this places you as an accessory to theft.”
“What? Shit. C’mon!”
Noah cocked his head, giving him an incredulous expression.
Callie returned and motioned for him to head out. Noah told Patrick he would be back and to hang tight .
Outside, she filled him in. “Seems a report was filed this morning of missing construction gear from a truck off Evans Road. A deputy is going to the Fish and Game Club with the owner to see if they can locate it there. It’s big items, all of it was marked.”
“While that validates what Patrick said, it doesn’t help us. In many ways, all it confirms is that he was over there and stole some items, which would indicate why he was caught on camera leaving in a hurry.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved,” she said. “For all we know, that van might have had a dual purpose. Did Eduardo work alone? Was the theft a way to cover their ass if they were stopped?”
“Yeah, maybe,” Noah said, running a hand around the back of his neck “Shit.” He sighed. “Chances of getting anything out of Eduardo are slim to none.” He took out his phone and brought up a map showing the location of Elizabethtown Hospital.
“What if the van seen by McKenzie headed north on Park Terrace at almost the same time that Eduardo and his pals were heading east? Is it possible that McKenzie was confused? I mean, the CCTV footage didn’t offer much. We are going on what he said and then some video canvassing.”
“It was the only van seen.”
“Then maybe it wasn’t the van that we were looking for. Maybe our guy never got into a van or a car.”
“You’re suggesting that the vehicle McKenzie saw wasn’t related?”
“Yeah. It may have just been that van with the wrong people at the right time. All we know is our hospital guy arrived on foot and took off that way,” he said, pointing toward Evans Street.
Noah threw his hands up in the air and walked off.
“Where are you going?” Callie asked .
“To get some fresh air. To call my kids. I need a moment to think,” he said.
His frustrations boiled over. The truth was video canvassing didn’t always work.
Vehicles believed to be owned by suspects often turned out not to be, just as a passerby at a crime scene may have had nothing to do with the incident.