Page 51 of In Cold Blood (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #1)

P hone calls could be ignored, but showing up in person, not so much. It had always yielded the best results. Also, with this woman potentially being the only link to the witness, he didn’t want to take the chance of losing the lead, so he opted to drive out to Burlington.

The city was located roughly two hours east of High Peaks.

It had many nicknames. B-town, the People’s Republic of Burlington, or what it was commonly referred to, as Queen City.

It was perched on the edge of the eastern shore of Lake Champlain just south of the Canadian border.

Noah could just see it in the distance as he crossed the bridge between Essex and Charlotte.

On his journey east, he’d received several calls from Callie but had just let them go to voicemail. It was easier that way. It was clear from his conversation with Roberts that in the eyes of the Adirondack County Sheriff’s Office, Luke’s case was in the bag.

It wasn’t. At least not for him.

He still had to know what occurred that night.

What had led Luke out to the middle of nowhere ?

It would have been easy to assume that Cyrus killed his brother over a grudge but somehow that didn’t ring true. There was more to it and he intended to find out.

Judy Gordon resided in the South End, in a very ordinary-looking neighborhood north of Market 32. Noah pulled onto Lyman Avenue and veered to the edge of the road across from a two-story house. As it was Sunday, the chance of finding someone home was high.

Still, when he strolled up to the white clapboard home with a wraparound porch and knocked on the door, he got no answer. He noticed there was no vehicle outside. The unattached garage was closed. He made his way over and peered through the glass.

“Can I help you?” an elderly man with white wispy hair asked.

He was wearing yard gloves and holding gardening shears.

Noah noticed several green branches on the ground.

He was trimming up the hedge dividing the two properties.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, sending a sweet aroma his way as he walked over.

“I was wondering if Judy Gordon was in?”

“And you are?”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Noah Sutherland. Bureau of Investigation.”

The old-timer squinted at his badge.

“That FBI?”

“No. State Police.”

The old-timer handed it back.

“She in trouble?”

“Not at all. I’m just following up on an investigation we’re conducting.”

The man sized him up.

“Who you talking to, Gerald?” a woman cried out. Noah couldn’t see her but her voice came from the house.

“Just a friend. ”

“You lived here long?” Noah asked, surveying the man’s property.

It was nice. Well kept. The kind of yard Hugh would have been proud to own.

It was immaculate, full of rows of vibrant flowers in every color stretching as far as the eye could see.

The lawn was a lush green carpet trimmed to perfection.

A cluster of trees of all kinds stood tall and proud, their branches reaching skyward to touch the heavens.

Noah imagined the man was out here daily, tending to roses, picking out unruly weeds that had escaped his eye.

“Forty years.” He coughed. “You won’t find her home. Her family is part of a local church in town. They have some summer fair or BBQ happening today. She invited us but I’m not the religious type. And if I want to eat, I’ll make my own here.”

“Fair enough. Did she say when it would end?”

He glanced at his wristwatch. “I’d expect her back in about an hour, maybe less.”

“Okay. I’ll wait for her.”

“That your Bronco?”

“It’s a rental.”

“I used to own one. Sturdy machines. Reliable. You’re welcome to come in if you like. Ella’s son was a police officer. She’ll make some tea, and talk your ear off. Save mine,” he said with a wry smile.

“Thank you. But I’m good.”

“Suit yourself.”

He ambled away. Noah returned to the Bronco and decided to take Axel to one of the local parks to give him some exercise. It would kill some time. He’d been cooped up in the SUV for the last two hours. He figured he’d swing back once Judy had returned.

The hour passed quickly. With Axel tuckered out, chewing on a bone in the back, he rolled into the driveway to the right of a gold Chrysler minivan. “I won’t be long, boy,” he said before bringing down the windows to let the cool afternoon air blow in.

The door to the house opened before he reached the porch.

“I’ve gotta go, I’ll be late,” a man said, shrugging into a blue windbreaker. He stopped abruptly. “Who are you?”

“Here to see Judy. Noah Sutherland.” He showed him his badge.

The man groaned. Noah heard him mutter, “Not again,” as he turned and went back to the door. “Hon. It’s a cop.”

A woman with light green eyes and ginger hair pinned up came to the door. She looked Noah up and down. “Yes?”

“I was hoping to get a moment of your time.”

“It’s about my sister, isn’t it?”

He nodded.

“Is she alive?”

“As far as I know,” he replied.

“You want me to stay?” her husband asked.

“No. You need to go,” she said, closing the door behind her to block out the conversation from eavesdropping teens. Judy folded her arms, an outward sign that she wasn’t comfortable.

“Would you like to sit?” she asked.

“Sure,” Noah replied, taking a seat on a porch swing.

Her husband got in the van, eyeing them both suspiciously through the windshield before backing out. “My husband is on shift work. At the mill.”

Noah nodded.

“So what’s this about?”

“Does your sister own a white truck? A Ford-150?”

“Yes. We paid for it. She said she needed one for work.” She chuckled, shaking her head. The pain in her expression was clear. “I haven’t seen her in a while. Though I did talk to her recently. Our last conversation didn’t exactly go as well as I hoped it would.”

“When was that?”

“A week ago. Saturday, I think.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Before that, I hadn’t heard from her in about eight months. She called out of the blue. Sounded scared. But wouldn’t tell me anything. Just wanted to see if I could let her stay for a while. Said she had trouble with her job.”

“Her job?”

Judy eyed him. “My sister turns tricks. She’s a prostitute.

” As the words left her mouth, Noah could see a visceral reaction.

Judy’s body stiffened up. Her lips pursed.

“I tried to help. In the past, that is, but she’s hooked on drugs and doesn’t listen.

We had her here for three months back in 2015 but my husband had to toss her out when I found out that she’d stolen money from us.

My kid to be specific. Can you believe that?

” She wiped dust from her dress. It was clear appearances mattered to her. Morals even more so.

Noah eyed the silver cross around her neck.

“What kind of trouble has she gotten herself into this time?”

“I believe she was a witness to a crime.”

“Huh. Crime. That sounds like Trinity.”

“Do you know where I can find her?”

She chuckled. “Pinning her down is hard even for me. She’s been kicked out of more places for failure to pay rent than I care to mention.

I can give you her last address and phone number but that’s it.

I doubt it will be of use. When she called last week, I thought she was high.

I told her not to phone again. She kept texting.

I blocked her number. I figured she was trying another one of her sob stories to get us to put her up for a few months, so she could steal money.

” She took another deep breath. “I love my sister. Please understand that. I do. And God has mercy for all but even he can’t help those who don’t want to help themselves. ”

Noah took a deep breath and eyed the neighbor trimming his trees.

“Do you have any other family she might go to for help?”

“Nope. Our parents passed away a few years back. Broke their hearts.”

“What about friends of hers?”

She shrugged. Judy got up. “I’ll get you the information I do have.”

“Would you have a photo of her?”

“Of course.”

She went inside. Judy returned a moment later with a scrap of paper containing an address in the town of Wilmington, New York, along with her cell number. Then she handed him a Polaroid. “My daughter took this photo of us the last time she was here.”

It was taken outside under the large oak tree not far from the driveway.

Judy looked like her sister in some ways, but in others not so much.

Trinity was rough around the edges. He’d seen that look on many a meth head.

The wear and tear of drug use were evident in more ways than one.

Skin that was pockmarked, dark circles under the eyes, and hair in a complete state.

She was wearing jeans and a pink hoodie.

It was sad. Sad to think that at one time she’d been a little girl with aspirations, dreams, and goals.

Noah thanked her.

As he took a few steps down from the porch, he looked back.

“I know it’s hard to deal with people who are addicts and by the sounds of it, you certainly have gone out of your way to help.

I would never tell anyone what they need to do but as someone who has seen how quickly things can go south and people can lose family, I hope you find a way to mend your relationship. ”

“I’ve forgiven her. She needs to forgive herself and get help.”

Noah thanked her again and got back in the Bronco, tapping the new address into the GPS.