Page 4 of The Catcher (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #5)
I t was organized chaos — a complete dichotomy.
Callie slowed the cruiser at the South Meadow Trailhead.
It was buzzing with the presence of various agencies.
New York State Forest Rangers from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), volunteers from search and rescue, and state troopers milled about, their vehicles forming a makeshift perimeter around the area.
As Callie stepped out of her cruiser, she took in the scene. Towering pines cast long shadows across the clearing, and the distant peaks loomed ominously against a bright blue sky.
Approaching the group near the trailhead, Callie sought out Jake Richmond, a seasoned forest ranger tasked with escorting her to the crime scene.
“Deputy Thorne,” Jake greeted her with a nod, his voice low and steady amidst the chaos.
“How are you, Jake?" Callie acknowledged, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding officers. Jake was based out of Region 5 in Ray Brook. The DEC building sat directly opposite Noah’s workplace, sandwiched between Saranac Lake and High Peaks.
“I’ve been better.”
“Who called it in?”
Jake’s expression darkened slightly. “A young couple stumbled upon the scene earlier this morning. They reported it to the nearest ranger station before we were dispatched.”
Callie nodded.
Although it wasn’t uncommon to see sheriff deputies called in for body retrievals or searches, these kinds of calls were usually handled by DEC special agents, and the state and sheriff’s office were only notified if needed.
As Callie followed Jake deeper into the forest, she couldn’t help but admire the dedication and commitment displayed by these individuals.
Their tireless efforts ensured the safety and preservation of the wilderness, their presence a reassuring reminder of the protection afforded to those who ventured into the untamed beauty of the great outdoors.
Unlike park rangers or game wardens, DEC rangers played a crucial role within the U.S. Forest Service, providing frontline responders for many situations.
They were often the first to be called upon when emergencies arose, whether it be conducting a search and rescue mission for lost hikers, protecting natural resources from illegal activities, dealing with fires, or safeguarding those who ventured into the forest for recreation .
With their extensive training in wilderness survival, navigation, and law enforcement, they were more than equipped to handle many scenarios.
However, what set the DEC rangers apart was their unique blend of responsibilities.
While they shared similarities with federal law enforcement officers, they operated on a state level, enforcing regulations specific to New York’s natural landscapes.
Despite their distinctive role, they carried the same police powers as the State Police, allowing them to uphold the law and maintain order within the High Peaks wilderness.
“I’m curious. Why the call to the Sheriff’s Office? You folks are more than capable of handling these matters.”
“An unusual crime scene. The captain and special agents thought it was best we notify all agencies. What with the uptick of murders in the region. State Police is supposed to be sending out an investigator from BCI. Though, they should have been here by now.”
Callie thought about Noah. That would have been him if he wasn’t on a suspension. She wondered who would take his place. It wasn’t like they were crawling with investigators.
“Did you speak to McKenzie? He usually handles this.”
Jake shrugged. “We were informed that he was currently tied up with a case but would send someone. You must have gotten the short end of the straw.”
“Seems so.”
Jake glanced at her. “Been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“Yeah. Been busy, distracted, you could say. ”
“I heard about your sister. My condolences.”
She gave a pained smile. “Thank you.”
With a brief exchange of introductions and a rundown of the situation, Jake led Callie to an ATV parked nearby, its engine idling in anticipation of the journey ahead to Mount Jo Trailhead.
“It’s about a mile in, then we go on foot for a few miles.”
“A little far back to block off the road.”
“Had to with hikers heading this way. Hold on tight.”
The High Peaks Wilderness was split into two zones.
The body had been found in the western zone.
Often, rangers would use one of the State Police helicopters to retrieve bodies or those injured, but that wasn’t all the time.
More times than not, rangers were left to trudge out of the wilderness carrying a body.
It was a challenging task, considering the uneven terrain.
As they set off along the rugged trail, the engine’s roar drowned out the sounds of the forest. The ATV navigated twists and turns with ease. Callie held on tight, her senses alert as they ventured deeper into the wilderness.
The forest closed around them, the dense undergrowth obscuring their view as they forged ahead. Callie couldn’t shake the unease that settled over her.
It was still baffling that she’d been sent out.
After her short suspension for misconduct, Sheriff Rivera had made it clear that she was going back to patrol.
Her days of working alongside Detective Angus McKenzie and rubbing shoulders with State Police investigators were over — or maybe they were on hold.
She couldn’t recall her exact words. Most of it was white noise buried under grief from losing her sister.
After an eternity, they finally reached a remote clearing where the crime scene awaited. Callie’s heart pounded in her chest as she surveyed the area, her instincts on high alert.
“It’s just over there.”
With a gesture from Jake, they disembarked from the ATV and approached the scene. A couple of crime scene investigators were already on site, their presence marked by the flashes of cameras, the careful collection of evidence, and the meticulous securing of the area.
The scene was a stark contrast to the tranquility of the surrounding forest. The deceased, a muscular white teenager of roughly eighteen, was hunched at the base of a ravine, his body in a crumpled position, blindfolded, wrists bound tightly behind his back with rope. He wore nothing but a pair of boxers.
As Callie moved past Jake to get a closer look, she felt a familiar sense of detachment wash over her. It wasn’t her first time encountering a dead body, and while the sight still elicited a twinge of unease, she remained composed, her focus on the task at hand.
Pulling on a pair of latex gloves, Callie surveyed the scene, her gaze sweeping from the body to the tree branch. “Anyone bagged any evidence yet?” she asked, her tone professional yet assertive.
One of the plainclothes ranger agents shook his head. “We’re not amateurs,” he retorted.
Callie met his gaze. “And you are?” she countered .
“I could ask the same.” The agent’s glare intensified as he turned his attention to Jake. “I thought we requested a detective, not a uniform,” he muttered.
“Chill, Danvers, it’s all they sent for now,” Jake interjected, coming to Callie’s defense. “She comes highly recommended.”
The agent’s expression softened slightly, though the tension remained. “Odd choice,” Danvers remarked. “Just don’t go fucking up our crime scene.”
Callie felt a surge of anger rising within her.
While she had worked alongside seasoned detectives like Angus and Noah in the past, she was still considered a rookie by many in the department; her rank and experience were often called into question by those who had climbed the ranks through years of service.
“Is the M.E. on the way?” Callie asked, eager to redirect the conversation away from her perceived inadequacies.
The agent chuckled condescendingly at her question before turning his attention elsewhere, leaving Callie to grapple with an uneasy sense of displacement.
Jake, sensing her discomfort, offered a reassuring smile.
“Don’t mind him,” he said quietly. “Once they’ve shed the Forest Ranger uniform, they think they’re in a different class. ”
Callie nodded as she absorbed what he said, her mind already piecing together the puzzle of the scene before her.
“The body couldn’t have been out here long. He still has his eyes,” she noted, her voice calm and measured. “What do we know so far? Is there any ID?” she inquired, her gaze scanning the area as Jake leaned against a nearby tree.
“We’ve been able to nail down a rough timeline.
The guy who found him was here the afternoon before.
He said he smelled nothing on that day. He didn’t see anything unusual.
Two families reported their teenagers missing last night.
They were supposed to be out to see a movie.
Never came home,” Jake said, his expression grave.
“Right now, until we can get confirmation, we’re going on a hunch that this is Pete Landry, seventeen, based out of High Peaks.
We’ve been unable to locate his girlfriend Hailey Matthews.
But that’s what the search team is here for.
Hopefully, she’s still alive. They’re searching nearby. ”
“Unless she wasn’t brought out here,” Callie replied thoughtfully, her gloved hand gently touching the body as she assessed the evidence.
“A cut to the lip. Swelling on the orbital. No blood on the skull. There is no bruising of the neck, and vessels in the eyes aren’t burst, which could indicate strangulation.
No signs of a fatal injury, gunshot, or knife wound. Huh.”
“Yeah, we figure he died from hypothermia, but toxicology should be able to tell if anything was in his system,” Jake added.
Rising to her feet, Callie surveyed the landscape, her trained eye taking in every detail as she moved with calculated precision. “What about footprints?” she asked, glancing around for signs of disturbance in the forest floor.