Page 19 of In Cold Blood

Near the fireplace was a photo of the two of them on the wall just after they got married. Happy. That summed them up. They had their problems like most married couples but long before they were life partners, they were friends and that had carried them through many a storm. Everywhere he turned there were family photos of skiing, fishing, hunting, and snorkeling.

Unlike Noah, Luke had a knack for finding balance. He was fortunate not to suffer from OCD, a disorder that both served Noah and at times crippled him. Whereas most might read an email once and send it, he would have to do it five or six times. It wasn’t as much mistakes he was looking for as it was the urge tocheck. The same for crime scenes. Other investigators would give their due diligence, going through the motions of what was taught to them, but Noah would find himself returning to a scene countless times almost to the point of obsessing over every little detail.

Had he missed something?

Like the way he might check if his door was locked three or four times before he left a vehicle. The compulsion carried over into his work. He knew it was fine but his brain would tell him no, check again.

It was no surprise that it would affect his marriage.

He’d gotten better over the years, and loosened up, but that came through lots of therapy. Still, there were moments he wished he had more control.

“He loved that one,” Kerri said from behind him. Noah was holding a photo of her and Luke not long after graduation. “He said it was the last time he felt carefree.”

Noah set it down. “I hear you there.”

“Can I get you a coffee?”

“Black. No sugar. Thank you.”

“Just the way he liked his.” She smiled, walking back into the kitchen. Noah remained there a moment longer before following her in.

“He said you and him liked a lot of the same things.”

“Yeah. It certainly caused a few arguments growing up.”

She allowed herself a pained smile as she emptied the back of a Nespresso machine, then popped in a fresh capsule.

Noah took a seat at a pine table with four chairs. The centerpiece was filled with a variety of fruit.

“How is the real estate business?” he asked, it was habit. Small talk. A means to delay talking about the one thing he really wanted to know. He decided he would wait until she had a moment to breathe before he dropped the questions on her.There was so much he wanted to ask — information he knew she would have been privy to but that the Sheriff’s Office might not be inclined to share with him.

“Still in high demand.”

She’d been selling homes since she was twenty-two. Made a name for herself in High Peaks. Her mugshot was all over the town on billboards and benches. That was the only upside to all of this. She’d be able to support the kids. Of course, police widows usually received a monthly death benefit. So that would come in handy though he imagined that was the last thing on her mind.

The aroma of roasted coffee filled the room.

Kerri came over with his coffee and took a seat across from him.

Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He didn’t rely on notes or his memory. It was easier to refer back to a recording.

“I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about Luke, you know — that night, would you be okay with that?” He wanted to be mindful that she was grieving and had probably already been grilled. One of the first things the Sheriff’s Office would have done besides handling the scene would have been to speak with family, friends, colleagues, and possible mistresses if there were any.

Time was of the essence. It had already been four days since the shooting. By the time he got word of Luke’s death, the body had already been released back to the family for burial and due to the nature of the crime, it was a closed-casket funeral.

“I thought State was working with the Sheriff’s Office?”

“They are. I’m not. It would be considered a conflict of interest. Though, with it being a small town and all, I will speak with Roberts and the assigned State investigator to see where I mightbe able to help. Do you know if they’ve taken Luke’s personal computers or cell phone yet?”

“Deputy Hendrix collected it. He said their tech guy would be able to access it.”

Kerri took a sip of her drink. “So, what do you know?” she asked.

“Only what has been released to the media. They believe he was ambushed. Targeted. What I want to know is why? What was the motivation? Who would benefit from his death?”

“I don’t know.”

“Have they shown you the police report?”