Page 11 of The Catcher (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #5)
Noah flashed a quick grin before turning and heading towards the observatory building. He left McKenzie, the officers, Sam, and Isabella behind to search for the missing geocache.
Noah entered the gift shop on the top floor of Whiteface Castle.
The interior was cozy yet quaint, with wooden beams crisscrossing the ceiling and rustic stone walls adorned with shelves of souvenirs.
The assortment of trinkets and memorabilia ranged from keychains and postcards to plush toys and locally made crafts.
At the center of the room stood a large counter, behind which a woman in her forties was assisting a customer with a purchase. The woman wore a friendly smile as she engaged in conversation, her demeanor warm and welcoming.
Once the customer left, Noah approached the counter and flashed his badge. “Would you happen to know who is in charge of the observatory up on the summit?” he inquired.
The woman nodded, her expression turning serious. “That would be Doug Stevens. Let me get him for you,” she replied, disappearing momentarily to fetch the man in question.
As Noah waited, his gaze wandered to the racks of clothing lining the walls.
His eyes scanned the assortment of jackets and sweatshirts, but his attention was drawn to the cameras mounted discreetly in the room’s corners.
Despite feeling like he was on the right track in the investigation, a nagging doubt lingered in his mind.
Perhaps the lock of hair found at the crime scene was simply a red herring, a cruel taunt from the perpetrator meant to throw the police off the trail.
And the instructions for the geocache could have been nothing more than a clever ruse, sending them on a wild goose chase that ultimately led to nothing.
Noah couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty as he pondered the possibilities, his mind racing with questions and doubts.
“I’m Doug Stevens. How can I help?” a tall gentleman greeted Noah, his balding head and casual attire giving him a relaxed air.
“Well, that’s the thing, I’m not sure if you can,” Noah replied, his tone guarded as he brought Doug up to speed on why they were there, careful not to divulge any sensitive information regarding the case.
As Noah explained their situation, Doug listened attentively, nodding in understanding. “Now that you mention it, yeah, we had one of our staff members bring it in,” Doug admitted.
“You did?” This revelation piqued Noah’s interest.
“Between you and me, I have no problem with people playing these games. It’s harmless fun.
But the county doesn’t like it. They see it as littering.
We have to preserve this place. If we let one person do it, more people will follow suit, even if it does bring more people up to the summit,” Doug explained.
“Do you have it?” Noah asked, hoping for a breakthrough in their investigation.
“You’re a day late. It was thrown out yesterday. The garbage truck came by. Probably in the landfill by now,” Doug replied .
Noah nodded, disappointment weighing heavily in his chest. “The staff member who found it. Did they look at it?”
“You’d have to ask them. I just told them to throw it in the trash,” Doug admitted.
Noah stood there, silently urging Doug to provide the name of the staff member. It took Doug a moment to catch on.
“Oh, it’s Barry Carlise. It’s his day off. I can give you his phone number,” Doug offered, pulling out a notepad and pen.
“I’d appreciate that,” Noah said gratefully, taking down the information before bidding Doug farewell and heading out to find the others.
“Any luck?” McKenzie asked as Noah approached.
“A staff member threw it out. We’ll need to scour the local landfill but I’m not sure State will swing that unless it involves searching for a body.
The manpower required for that will be extensive.
” He held up a scrap of paper. “Barry Carlise. I called him and left a message to see if he looked at it. Let’s hope he did. It went to voicemail,” Noah replied.
“Isn’t that always the way,” McKenzie muttered, shaking his head. “Come on. Lunch is on me.”
As they returned to the vehicles, Noah pulled Sam aside for a word, his expression grave. “Who else knew that you were going out to the forest to propose?” he asked, his voice low.
“Uh, just my sister,” Sam replied.
“Where’s she live?”
“At my house. She’s twelve. ”
“That’s it? You’re sure?” Noah pressed, his gaze probing.
“Yeah, why?” Sam asked, growing increasingly puzzled by Noah’s line of questioning.
“No reason,” Noah replied evasively, his eyes drifting towards High Peaks Lake. From their vantage point, he could see all three islands dotting the tranquil waters. Had the weather been better, he might have even been able to make out his home on the far side.
As he climbed behind the wheel to leave the mountain that morning, a sense of unease settled in Noah’s stomach.
The revelation that a staff member had disposed of the geocache without proper investigation left him with a lingering suspicion.
Could it be possible that this seemingly innocuous action had inadvertently signed the Matthews girl’s death warrant?