Page 41 of In Cold Blood (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #1)
I t was attempted murder.
In some ways, Cyrus Keller had done them a huge favor by opening fire.
An additional break came in the form of the slick Pontiac Trans Am he’d crashed.
A quick search of the abandoned vehicle yielded an interesting find in the glove compartment.
It was registered to Harry Carter, and Cyrus was listed on the insurance as a driver.
In addition to this was a small baggie of cocaine and paraphernalia in the console.
It was damning evidence but not enough to get a search warrant. That came after an anonymous caller alerted the local PD to a sighting of him back at the Pub and Brewery.
Now they believed he was there.
Sheriff Roberts had the judge up bright and early to sign the search warrant for High Peaks Pub and Brewery in the hopes of finding Cyrus or evidence that could uncover Harry’s involvement in Operation Heat Wave .
“I’m telling you, Luke is smiling down right now,” Noah said to Callie as multiple officers from local PD and the Sheriff’s Office arrived outside the establishment a little after eight the next morning.
Harry Carter was there to meet them.
He was a bulbous-looking man. The kind of individual that would have made a good poster child for obesity. His body dripped with wealth from the cream-colored tailored suit and red tie to the Rolex on his wrist and gold chain around his neck.
He was leaning against a Lexus and had this smirk on his face as they approached him. There was an air of pretension to him. A can’t-be-touched attitude that made Noah sick. He only hoped they found something so they could wipe it off his face.
“Officers.”
Callie handed over the search warrant. He didn’t even look at it. He simply gestured towards his establishment. “Feel free. Though you are aware this wasn’t necessary. We offer tours upon request.” He chuckled.
So smug.
“Do you also offer all your employees high-end cars?” Noah asked.
“Is there a crime against letting an employee use one of my vehicles?”
“That depends. Do all your vehicles come with a bag of coke?”
“I have no control over what they do inside it.”
“What about control over hiring or harboring criminals?”
“Criminals? Are you referring to the false case lodged against my employee that he beat in court? I have every right to help locals. Someone has to.”
“Certainly would make it easier to conduct criminal behavior.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding confused and looking at the other deputies. “I’m not familiar with you. I know you are a Sutherland but I wasn’t aware you were working for the Sheriff’s Office?”
“I don’t. They’re working with us.” He took out his BCI badge and flashed it.
“Ah, State Police. My condolences. I heard one of your own ran into a little trouble. I hope he’s on the mend. Dangerous business, law enforcement. You never quite know who you will run into.”
Noah ignored the jab. It was underhanded. He now had to wonder if Harry was behind the attack.
“How long has Cyrus Keller been working for you?”
He shrugged. “Three, maybe four years.”
“And mostly bar work?”
“That and he runs errands. Hence the vehicle.”
“Like?”
“Anything and everything.”
Noah nodded; he could tell Harry was being difficult.
“Is he in the habit of lashing out? You know, since I heard you didn’t fire him when he struck a patron?”
“We’re all entitled to make a few mistakes, are we not, officer?” He let his words linger as if he knew Noah’s past. “Besides, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding born out of too much drink. It was resolved.”
“So there were no consequences for his actions?”
“I sent him home.”
“And he hasn’t worked since?”
“No. I thought it best he took some time off.”
“And yet here he was tonight.”
“To pick up his paycheck.”
“Right. No direct deposit?”
“He prefers cash.”
“Of course he does,” Noah said, wondering how many other employees Harry was paying under the table.
Now it was clear in more ways than one why he was comfortable.
It certainly made it easier. Of course, if requested he no doubt would have been able to show paperwork.
“I gather your payroll taxes are in order?”
“I’m a law-abiding man. Uncle Sam has no complaints. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“For now.” He held his gaze.
Callie chimed in, seeing the tension building. “We’re going to need an address for Keller. I assume you have one?”
“I do. Though I imagine if he’s now on the run, he won’t be there. But what do I know about police work? You’re the experts,” he said mockingly.
“Shall we?” Noah was eager to get started.
He’d brought Axel with him. There was no way he was going to miss an opportunity to put the dog’s nose to use.
Over the next hour, an army of police officers descended upon every room and staff locker inside, opening closets, drawers, and packing boxes, looking under, over, in, and around the back of stainless-steel brewery equipment.
They moved on to delivery trucks, then the dumpsters, a task that wasn’t appreciated.
While Noah hadn’t been trained to work with Axel, Callie was familiar with commands she’d heard Luke give the dog while she rode shotgun.
Some dogs were trained to sit or lie down when they got a hit; Axel would begin aggressively scratching at a scent.
“Anything?” Ray asked from across the room. All of them were keen to see if Axel would pick up a scent. Yet he was getting nothing. He ambled through the facility with a sense of purpose as if he knew what he was there to do but at no point did he show any sign.
“Nothing. Cyrus isn’t here. No drugs.”
Noah balled a fist. He could have sworn this would be a sure thing.
But maybe he was wrong about Harry, maybe Luke was way off the mark, and maybe Ed Baxter was just an old man trying to relive the excitement of his former days by making up stories.
It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d come across retirees full of stories.
But that’s all they were, stories, the concoction of a wild mind.
As they exited, Harry leaned against his vehicle, smoking a cigarette.
“All good, officers?”
“The place out back. What’s that for?”
Noah had seen the framework of a building, nothing but plastic hung down to protect the inside.
“An addition to handle the demand. The brewery has really taken off in the last few years. We create our own IPAs. Some of the freshest micro-brewed ales and lagers you’ll find in New York State. You’re free to check it out. I have nothing to hide.”
“Don’t bother. We already did,” Ray said. “It’s empty. Nothing inside. Just the foundation.”
“Not for long,” Harry added. “The Adirondacks won’t only be known for its peaks and the Olympic Games. You watch, we’ll soon be called the IPA capital of the East.”
Still, Noah returned to the back and made his way around to the new addition. A few officers were searching behind stacks of pine that were ready to be assembled. Once again Axel didn’t find anything.
Outside, Ray was conferring with Hendrix from the Sheriff’s Office. He was probably telling him a joke as Hendrix broke into laughter. Callie was waiting for him. “Any luck?”
“Nope. All clean.”
“Like I told you, officer. I’ve got nothing to hide. I run an honest establishment and having you show up here doesn’t look good for business,” he said, motioning across the road to where curious bystanders watched from afar. “I’ll be sure to have a few words with the mayor. ”
“You do that,” Noah said.
As he walked back to the Bronco, Callie fell in step.
“I know you’re disappointed, but hey, at least we can scratch this place off our list. I took the chance to speak with Harry.
Seems he was working until two on the night of Luke’s death.
Multiple employees were able to vouch for him, unless, he asked them to lie.
Based on the timing of your brother’s death, there’s no way he could have been there. ”
“But Cyrus could have.”
“Yeah, well, we’ve obtained an address from Harry.
He’s been living at some apartment block in town.
Local PD has sent officers over.” She tapped the air with her finger.
“Oh, and you were right. They managed to find a thumbprint on the button of Luke’s radio.
But it gets better. There was blood mixed in with it.
Seems our caller was injured and bleeding.
Anyway, they swabbed the radio last night for DNA and this morning expedited it to Parabon NanoLabs in Virginia for processing. ”