Page 6 of In Cold Blood

“Yeah, with it being an officer shooting, BCI will be working with the Sheriff’s Office.”

He nodded. “Good.”

She frowned. “No. Not good. You can’t be involved, Noah.”

“What?”

“C’mon, I know you. And you know the protocol. It would be a conflict of interest.”

“My knowledge of the area and the people might be helpful.”

“Well, look, I’m not saying they’re barring you from investigating but you would need to take a back seat, if you take a seat at all. Noah, perhaps you should leave this in someone else’s hands.”

“It’s my brother.”

“Exactly. Investigating might screw up the case. Either way, if they even consider allowing you to help, the State Attorney’s Office would need to be apprised and then you’d have to go with whatever they and the lieutenant decide.”

“So, who’s been assigned?”

She took a swig of her bottle and looked off toward the ocean.

“Who’s handling it, Savannah?”

There was a pause.

She sighed. Her brow furrowed. “Parish.”

“Parish. Owen Parish?”

She nodded.

He let his head rock back and he closed his eyes. “Oh, Parish couldn’t find his ass with both hands.”

“Well, you know how it goes…”

She made her way across the room to put the bottle in the fridge. She had hardly touched it.

Savannah knew it wasn’t just the news of his brother’s demise but the fact that they wouldn’t want him involved, that’s why she was here. She had a way of keeping him level-headed when he would throw caution to the wind.

Parish?That meant State Police Troop B headquarters. It was their jurisdiction.

Noah downed the remainder of his drink and headed intothe bedroom. Savannah stood in the doorway, watching him take out his suitcase and begin filling it.

“Noah, tell me you’re not going near this.”

He glanced at her. “I’m going back for the funeral. I still have a few weeks remaining vacation.”

“I know you do but…”

“He’s my brother, Savannah,” he replied with an edge to his voice. “And I sure as hell know that whatever happened up there, I plan to get to the bottom of it.”

“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”

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Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Adirondack County, Upstate New York