Page 39 of In Cold Blood (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #1)

T he drone of bluegrass played over speakers as the two of them sat in a booth, having wings and a beverage for supper.

Noah figured with the sudden shift to him helping, he didn’t want to waste any time getting caught up on the investigation.

Having to go home and cook up a meal just seemed unnecessary, especially when Parish wouldn’t be there.

Callie was fine with that; it felt less awkward eating at an establishment instead of his place.

It also gave them a chance to observe the staff at High Peaks Pub and Brewery.

He noticed the way people turned and stared when they walked in. They didn’t need to say anything. It was written all over their faces.

He was the epitome of a dead man walking.

Callie sat with her phone to her ear, nodding while Noah picked at his food.

“Uh-huh. Right. Makes sense,” she said.

Contrary to what he had believed, the Sheriff’s Office hadn’t dropped the ball.

To locate all suspects or suspect vehicles traveling to or from the highway, Hendrix and another officer collected surveillance videos both from residents and business addresses.

Noah’s father just hadn’t obtained the full report, which included the results of the video canvass conducted near Route 73 and the surrounding area in the early hours of June 4.

A quick phone call to Hendrix soon cleared that up.

“Got it. Thanks.” She hung up. “Yeah. So, it was done. Hendrix handed it to Parish. Parish has already requested it be sent to forensics at the FBI. It seems a review of camera footage indicated that a white truck was observed traveling northbound on State Route 9 not long after the call into dispatch. It was also seen passing Saint Huberts about an hour before.”

“I want to see that footage. Anything else?”

“That’s it.”

“One vehicle. No others before or after?”

“Apparently not. I mean within that timeframe. Of course, there was traffic to and from before and following the murder but it was minor, just a few RVs.”

“Did they get a license plate?”

“No. The footage captures it from a side angle. Do you think the FBI will be able to offer a little more?”

“Maybe they can narrow down the make, model, and year.” He blew out his cheeks and took a sip of his drink. “And prints?”

“Nothing was gathered so far. I’ll have them get on that immediately though.”

“It’s a pity we don’t have enough to get a search warrant on this place,” he muttered. “You think you can find out if Luke requested one?”

“Yeah. I’ll check.”

Noah leaned back in his seat. Callie eyed him as she ran her finger around the top of her glass. “You told Hendrix that Parish wanted to show you something on the night he was jumped. He never told you what? ”

“No. I was going to ask you if he called you.”

“That’s what’s odd. He didn’t call.”

“It seems premature.”

“What does?” she asked.

“He’s here to investigate. But that would have taken time. Parish had barely gotten his feet wet. Now unless he stumbled onto something that could have broken the case wide open I can’t see why…” He looked at her.

“Why what?” Callie asked.

“Why he would contact me? I’m the last person he would trust. When he called me that night, I thought he was trying to set me up, you know, push my buttons in the hopes I might lash out or… I don’t know, make me come out there for nothing.”

“Would you?”

“Would I what?”

“Have lashed out?”

He shrugged. “Back in the day. Maybe. I was younger then. Now. It’s been too many years. I don’t hold a grudge forever.”

“But you didn’t like seeing him here.”

“Of course not. But at the end of the day, he’s one of us.

Regardless of what I thought of him, he would have done his job.

Sending off the footage of the vehicle to the FBI was him making sure he left no stone unturned.

” He took a bite out of one of his wings.

“Yet, I don’t get it. Damn it. I wish I knew what he’d found out.

” He paused for a second. “His notes and files, you have those?”

“I do. They’re back at the office.”

“I’d like to see them this evening.”

Callie nodded, studying him.

“Have you visited him at the hospital?” Noah asked.

“No. But from what I heard, he’s in a medically induced coma. It could be a few days before they bring him out. Just until the swelling subsides. ”

Right then someone caught his eye.

Dax came out of the back, a white towel slung over his shoulder.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, rising and crossing the room.

It was busy that evening. Cutlery clinked.

The tables were full of patrons of all ages.

The aroma of fresh food permeated the air.

A pretty waitress brought out a trolley with sizzling meat and threaded around tables to a booth.

The High Peaks Pub and Brewery had a good reputation for serving top-rated food at affordable prices and because they brewed in-house, their selection was on another level.

Noah noticed several people with tasters in front of them.

Five small glasses of beer. Laughter erupted from another table as a youngster in their early twenties encouraged a friend to chug down a pitcher.

He was wearing a birthday hat. Some of them had college sweaters on.

He smiled, remembering what it was like to be that age.

“Dax.”

He appeared from behind the bar where he was emptying a tray of fresh glasses onto a shelf. “Oh hey, Noah. So, you managed to swing by.”

Noah immediately noticed Dax was sporting a fresh shiner.

He frowned. “What happened to the eye?”

“Oh, you know, lost a battle with the door,” he said, motioning to double swinging doors that took the staff out into the kitchen. “Where’s that furry beast?”

Noah pointed to a sign that read: NO DOGS ALLOWED. “Outside in the Bronco having a nap,” he said.

He chuckled. “A Bronco? Weren’t you driving a truck last time I saw you?”

“Long story.”

“So, you’re here alone?”

“No, I’m with…” He thumbed over his shoulder and Dax peered around him .

“Ah, the deputy. So, you found her in the end.” He leaned forward. “She’s hot, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

Dax laughed. “You never were one for saying it like it is.”

“Hey, um.” Noah brought a finger up. “Harry around?”

“No. He’s not. It’s his Friday off.” He laughed. “And he tries his best to avoid working on the weekends. Our busiest nights are Friday and Saturday. Gets pretty wild. Everyone is run off their feet.”

“Yeah, I noticed. Hey, uh, you never got back to me. I left a message on your phone.”

“Sorry. I’ve been busy.”

“Why didn’t you tell me Cyrus Keller worked with you?”

Dax cleared his throat, turning to put a few more glasses away. It was clear he was uncomfortable. Noah recognized that look. It was the same one he had the day he sat him down to talk about Luke. “He does work here, doesn’t he?”

“Um. Well. Yeah.” Dax nodded, still looking away and loading glasses onto the shelf.

“Doing what?”

“A little of everything. Bartending occasionally.”

“When was he last in?”

Dax rose. “What is this, Noah?”

“I’m just curious to know his schedule. He’s a hard man to pin down. The number we had on file for him is no longer in service. I just found out he worked here and figured that maybe I could speak with him or get his address from Harry.”

“Well, he hasn’t been in for a while.”

“When was he last here?”

“The night of…” He tilted his head back and then locked eyes with Noah. “The night Luke died.”

“That’s right. He got into a brawl.”

“Yeah. Harry sent him packing. ”

“For what?”

“What do you think? Striking a patron.”

Noah regarded him. “Luke was called out to that. I don’t recall him arresting Cyrus.”

He got quiet and leaned across. “That’s because, by the time your brother showed up, Harry had handled it. It was notched up to a few too many drinks. No one wanted to press charges. It was just a rowdy group that got out of hand and self-defense on Cyrus’ part.”

“Was it?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see it.”

“You sure?” Noah was beginning to doubt what came out of Dax’s mouth. “What was the argument over?”

He didn’t reply.

“Dax!” a waitress said, standing by the doorway.

“Yeah, coming.” He turned back to Noah. “Look, I have to get back to work. It’s good seeing you again, Noah. I’m here until two. If I wasn’t working so late, I would have a drink with you but...”

“Dax.”

“Look man, it was just a group of tourists who’d had one too many to drink. It happens all the time. I got to go.”

“What about an address for Cyrus?”

“Speak to Harry. I don’t know it. If you stick around, I heard Cyrus is supposed to be dropping in this evening.”

With that said, he darted into the kitchen. Noah returned to his table with even more questions than answers.

“All good?”

“Yeah.”

“You know him?”

“He’s an old friend.” Noah inhaled a breath and let it out.

“Harry’s not here tonight. Seems Cyrus hasn’t been around since the night Luke died.

I was looking over the call report of that night.

Luke was called out here because of a fight.

While no one was arrested, Cyrus told him that night to keep his nose out of things if he knew what was good for him.

I think Luke was onto him. I think he had this whole place in his crosshair. ”

“I think the part of Cyrus is self-explanatory. He probably resented Luke for arresting him and trying to pin the Erikson disappearance on him,” Callie said. “If he didn’t have anything to do with it, it would make sense.”

“Then why disappear for a week?”

“Maybe Harry fired him.”

They continued eating and Callie shared what Jack Grayson had told them. “That’s beautiful. He expects us to believe that because Grayson hunts in those woods every weekend that he happened to find the body.”