Page 30 of The Smart Killer (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #4)

T he next phone call he received overshadowed a glimmer of hope in the investigation. Noah squinted into the sun as he drove back from his meeting. His mind still raced with the case details when his phone jangled. Alicia’s name came up on the caller ID. He hit accept on the steering wheel.

“Hey, what’s up?” he said casually.

Alicia’s voice came through the line, full of concern.

“You want to tell me something?”

“What?”

“The tracker, Noah. The tracker.”

“What are you talking about?”

“In my toolbox.”

He screwed up his face. “You’ve lost me.” Noah’s grip tightened on the steering wheel; his foot hovered over the brake as vehicles slowed to a crawl ahead.

“Noah, I just got an alert on my iPhone that someone placed an Apple AirTag on me.”

“What?”

“An AirTag.It says AirTag found moving with you. The location of this AirTag can be seen by the owner. Now, I don’t use one, but I know you have one in your wallet and one for your keys, so you don’t lose them. Did you place one in my toolbox?”

“In your toolbox?” His grip tightened even more.

“No. Mine are with me,” he said, glancing down at the keys in his console.

He took his wallet out of his jacket and glanced inside.

It was still there. He’d purchased the white circular device a few months back because he tended to put his keys and wallet down and forget where they were.

“Do you think your father put it in there?”

Noah narrowed his eyes, frustration boiling over, as he followed the road around a sharp bend. “Why would he do that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Look, meet me in town. I’ll get it from you and go see him.”

“I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“Alicia.”

“All right.”

Twenty minutes later, he met her in a parking lot behind the bank in High Peaks. She handed him the AirTag, her eyes wide with concern as she showed him where it was. “It was hidden in one of the small compartments, taped to the top. I probably wouldn’t have seen it had it not been for the alert.”

“Sonofabitch.”

“Noah. Just keep your cool, okay?”

The tires of his vehicle crunched on the gravel driveway as he pulled up to his father’s waterfront property.

He still wasn’t getting used to the idea that Hugh had sold his house and moved into the one the Ashfords had let Noah stay in rent-free.

The fading sunlight painted the sky in hues of pink and orange, casting a warm glow over the home that stood against the backdrop of High Peaks Lake.

As he got out and approached the home, his eyes caught a glimpse of a sleek Porsche 911, its polished surface reflecting the colors of the setting sun.

The car exuded an air of sophistication.

It certainly wasn’t the vehicle his father was known to drive.

He strode up the cobblestone pathway leading to the front door.

Each step echoed with purpose, a steady rhythm matching the beat of his heart.

At the door, he noticed a camera facing him, one of the many that his father said had been installed.

As he was about to knock, the intercom crackled to life, and his father’s voice, muffled yet familiar, greeted him. “Noah. Come on in.” The door unlocked with a soft click, granting him access.

He entered, his footsteps echoing in the spacious foyer. It felt odd to return there. He hadn’t been back since he’d moved into his new digs on the other side of the lake. The soft glow of ambient lighting illuminated the updated and elegant interior, casting shadows that danced on the walls.

Without glancing at him, he strode into the kitchen and set the Apple AirTag on the counter. “You want to explain this?” he demanded, his voice sharp.

Hugh was in the middle of a meeting with a well-dressed man in a form-fitting suit. Hugh apologized to the stranger. “I’m sorry, we’ll continue this meeting later,” he said.

The man nodded and retreated, but not before making a comment. “Glad to see you found a new place, Noah.”

The words hung in the air, leaving behind a sense of unease that gnawed at him.

“You know, son, it’s usually polite to say hello,” Hugh remarked, trying to brush off Noah’s lack of response. Noah’s eyes remained fixed on the door through which the man had disappeared. He noticed him climb into the Porsche.

“Who was that?” he asked.

His father hesitated momentarily before answering, his gaze shifting away. “That was Luther Ashford. I thought you would have recognized him.”

“He doesn’t look like his photo online.”

“Don’t we all,” he muttered.

Noah’s brow furrowed. “So?” he replied, his impatience growing as he pointed to the AirTag.

“What is it?”

“Don’t play. Did you place it in her toolbox?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie.”

He chuckled. “It’s all about truth and lies with you, isn’t it, son?”

“It is when my father is keeping secrets.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic. We all have skeletons in the closet. And if you don’t have any now, you will have by the time you reach my age. Coffee?”

“Don’t dodge the question. Did you put this in her toolbox? Yes or no?”

Hugh looked down at the device. “Yes. I did. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way, Noah. It’s a security measure. After what happened to Lena, I was worried about Alicia’s safety, given the nature of your work.”

Noah narrowed his eyes, his anger mixed with confusion.

“Let me get this right. You thought tracking her without her knowledge was the solution? Why didn’t you just ask her if she would be willing?

Or better still, speak to me? Or even better, stay out of it!

” he said, jabbing a finger at him. “You know she could file a complaint against you.”

He scoffed. “Best of luck with that.”

“You might have been the county sheriff at one time, but even you are not above the law, Dad,” he said as Hugh made his way around the granite counter and poured himself a cup of coffee.

Hugh groaned. “By the way, how’s my grandson?” he asked, shifting the topic away.

“He’s fine.”

“That’s not what I heard. It appears you forgot to inform me that Ethan was laid up in the hospital fighting for his life.”

Noah sighed, running a hand around the back of his neck.

Hugh continued, “A phone call, hell, even a text might have been nice.”

“He’s stable.”

“And you’re here.”

“Don’t diminish what you have done.”

Hugh sipped his coffee and walked past him. “How did it happen?”

“Maybe you should ask Luther Ashford.”

“And why would I do that?”

Noah entered the living room, following in his father’s shadow. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because there is a strong probability that he is linked to the flow of narcotics making the rounds in this city. The same ones that Luke tried to stop, the same ones I thought I put an end to.”

“Liquid morphine?”

Noah nodded.

“It’s gone.”

“No. It’s not; it just went underground.”

“Then you have your work cut out for you.”

“Listen, Dad. I don’t know what kind of mutual agreement he made with you when you were in office, but if it’s illegal…”

“It’s not.”

“If it is.”

“What? What are you going to do, huh?”

Noah shook his head. “It’s not my place to tell you who to associate with, but this man is trouble.

He has his fingers in everything: the casino, real estate, security systems. Yes,” he said, firmly removing from his jacket and tossing on the table a list of employees and investors Michael Taylor had given him.

“Smart security systems.” He tapped the list. “Among the many names I came across were the investors in Lakeridge smart homes, and lo and behold, who is on the list? Luther Ashford.”

“So, he has a varied business portfolio. Who doesn’t? How do you think he attained his level of wealth?”

“I don’t know, Dad, you tell me.”

“Get to the point, son. I have another appointment in an hour.”

“If I find out that he is behind the narcotics. The same ones that Ethan consumed. I will take him down and anyone associated with him.”

Hugh lifted his eyes and met his gaze. “Are you referring to me?”

Noah scooped up the list that Hugh didn’t even look at and tapped it against his hand.

“What was that saying you used to tell us when we were kids?” Noah tapped the air with his finger.

“That’s right. If the boot fits.” He let his words linger.

“Stay away from Alicia.” With that said, Noah turned to walk out, but as he passed by the kitchen, something caught his eye on the counter among the bills.

Noah sifted it out and picked it up; his heart sank as he recognized it was identical to the letters found at the other crime scenes.

“When did you get this?” he asked, his voice sharp with urgency, showing his father the letter.

Hugh glowered at him. “That came this morning,” his father replied nonchalantly, dismissing it as a prank. “It’s not the first time I’ve received threats. After our conversation a few months ago, with you urging me to leave here, I thought it was you.”

“Yeah, like I’m going to do that.” Noah shook his head.

Hugh shrugged.

Noah wheeled around, his suspicion deepening.

His eyes fixed upon the high-tech security installed in the home.

He walked down the corridor to the foyer and glanced at the wall where the main control panel was.

“When was this security system installed?” His eyes scanned the array of cameras and sensors.

“I told you. The other day. Seriously, Noah, you talk about me suffering from early dementia; I’m beginning to worry about your memory. Lakeridge has them installed in all of the homes.” He took a sip of his coffee.

“I know, but this isn’t a smart home.”