Page 10 of Vanish From Sight (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #2)
A nswers were within his grasp but getting them was slow.
Noah was supposed to meet with a local vet later that morning to get the RFID chip in the dog scanned in the hope that it might lead them back to the owner and perhaps put a face to the missing woman.
At least now he had something to latch on to, a guiding light for the next step of the investigation.
As the sun rose over the quiet suburban street across from the museum his mother once worked at, the Bronco bounced over the curb when he pulled into the driveway of Kerri’s home.
It had been months since he’d last visited.
He was eager to catch up with his sister-in-law and see how his niece and nephew were doing.
Noah climbed the front steps and knocked, his pulse racing with anticipation. Kerri opened the door and greeted him, her face no longer etched with sadness, only relief at a familiar face.
“Noah.”
He gave her a big hug. “Hey Kerri.” She invited him in and led him into the kitchen, where she had prepared a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. The savory scents made his stomach grumble.
He took a seat.
“Coffee?” she asked.
“Please.”
Noah looked around, his eye catching a framed photo of Luke and the family. Better days. He smiled. “Where are the kids? Axel?”
“Oh, they took him for a walk. I figured I would get out all that pent-up energy before he sees you and goes berserk.”
“I’ve missed him.”
“I bet.” She turned and handed him a coffee, then took a seat. The kitchen was bright and sunny, with large windows that let in the natural morning light. There were even more photos of Luke and the kids on the wall, and a bowl of fruit at the center of the pine table.
“You look well. How have you been?” he asked.
“I have my good days. The others I tend to hide from the kids.”
He nodded. Grief was difficult to process. Kerri smiled. “But enough about me. What’s happening with you? You’ve taken on a new position, moved back here. Where are you staying?”
“With Gretchen for a while.”
“Ah, I love her. She’s done so much for us since the funeral. She takes the kids some weekends, and dropped off meals in the first month.”
“Sounds like her.” Noah twisted and reached into a leather briefcase. He took out all the paperwork related to the waterfront home and slid it across the table. “You familiar with this property?”
Kerri had been in real estate for so many years, there was very little that escaped her eye.
Even if an agent wasn’t working for the same company, they were usually aware of homes and businesses on the market, how long they’d been there, and some of the history.
What they didn’t know usually only required one phone call to find out.
She took a sip of her coffee, set the cup down and opened the folder.
Her eyes widened. She glanced at him before continuing to scan the paperwork. “Suzanne Gilford, a broker for Harland and Stafford. I know the group. They only handle high-end properties. Nothing under a million dollars. That’s way out of the budget of a police paycheck, Noah.”
“You’re right. They said it’s an LLC that purchased it. Do you know who owns it?”
“No. But with a little digging, I should be able to find out. So many properties are hitting the market at the moment. They come and go pretty quick. Then of course there are those premium ones that barely get any bites because they’re priced too high. What’s the interest in it?”
“Someone’s offered to let me stay there for free. Of course, I would pay for the amenities, gas, electricity, water and so on but…”
“Free?” She clasped her coffee. “That’s unheard of.”
He nodded, eyeing her.
She glanced back down. “And you said?”
“I had to consider it.”
She snorted. “Whoever owns it has more money than sense, that’s for sure.
A place like that tends to linger on the market because no one has deep enough pockets to pay for it, but even so, there are other options like renting it out.
Some folks do that. They’re usually relying on the monthly rent to cover the cost. ”
“Apparently it’s all paid for.”
“Still, it’s cash in the pocket.”
“Cash they obviously don’t need.”
“Then it begs to be asked. What is the need?” she asked. “You know they wouldn’t offer you that if there wasn’t some kind of ulterior motive.”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out. At least if I knew who owned it, it might give me a sense of who and the real reason why they were offering it.”
“They didn’t tell you?”
He gave her the letter that was provided by the realtor.
Kerri sat quietly, sipping her coffee and scanning it.
She folded it. “An anonymous but generous benefactor who appreciated what you did.” She bit down on her lower lip, puzzled.
“The question is why? What kind of heat did you take off them? Or what do they think you might do for them?”
“I know.”
Kerri handed back the letter. “These things have a way of being turned around. Maybe not today but eventually. One thing I have learned in real estate, Noah, is that the rich aren’t rich for giving free rides.
They nickel and dime everyone. That’s not to say they can’t be philanthropists but around here I’ve yet to see one that didn’t benefit on some level from what they gave.
” She sniffed hard and cast another glance at the paperwork like it was tainted material. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Thank you.”
Over the next ten minutes he ate breakfast and chatted about what was new in her world.
Then, as they sat in the kitchen, Noah heard the side door opening and the jingle of a leash.
Moments later, he caught the familiar padding of paws on the tiled floor, and he knew that Luke’s German shepherd, Axel, had returned from his walk.
As soon as he was off the leash, he came tearing into the kitchen, a ball of fur and excitement.
Noah grinned from ear to ear as he reached a hand down and Axel licked him before bouncing around the kitchen like a madman, his tail wagging furiously and hitting the lower cabinets.
Axel ran up to Noah again, his wet nose nuzzling into his face.
He whined loudly. “I know, buddy. It’s good to see you too.
” Noah laughed as Axel licked at his face, his tail wagging so hard it almost knocked over a nearby chair.
“Axel. Calm down,” Kerri said.
The dog’s scent filled the room, a combination of wet fur, grass and the fresh air of the outdoors. Noah felt the warmth of the dog’s breath on his face as Axel continued to whine and then followed up with barking loudly, overjoyed.
“All right, all right,” Kerri said.
Noah glanced over to the doorway where Willow and Austin were standing, their eyes fixed on him.
He could only imagine they were again struggling to see him without thinking of their slain father, his twin.
He saw a flicker of pain in their gaze, and for a second, they hesitated before coming over and greeting him.
Noah rose from his chair and opened his arms to embrace them.
A lump formed in his throat. Willow had long blonde hair and was tall in stature.
She reached him first, her arms wrapping around his waist tightly.
Austin, with his stringy build and quiet demeanor, followed, embracing him with a shy smile.
They were the next generation of Sutherlands, a reminder of the love and legacy of Luke.
They were just another reason why he’d returned.
He felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect and support them, and even as they pulled away from his embrace, he knew he would do everything he could to keep them safe.
Later that quiet Sunday morning, Noah sat in the Bronco outside a local vet’s office, feeling anxious about his brother not showing up.
He fidgeted for a moment with his phone before calling Ray’s number only to be met by a voicemail message each time.
Eventually he called Ray’s home and got his ex, Tanya.
“Tanya, is Ray there?”
“And hello to you.”
“Sorry. Just he’s supposed to be meeting me this morning.”
He’d never really gotten along with her.
The constant back and forth in the relationship between her and Ray was enough to give anyone whiplash.
Though he couldn’t fault her entirely, Ray wasn’t the easiest person to live with and Noah assumed he’d acquired a few skeletons in his closet over the years.
“Well if he hasn’t shown up, then more than likely he’s still at the casino.”
“The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort?”
High Peaks was in the middle of nowhere; the only casino even close to it was in Hogansburg about seventy to seventy-five miles north. A good two hours’ drive.
“No. The Ashford Royale. Near Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort. It’s a new build. He goes there a lot. I thought he would have told you.”
“No.”
“Well if you see him, tell him that I’ll be at my mother’s.”
With that said, she hung up. She was clearly fuming.
Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort was a good fifteen minutes northeast of High Peaks, nestled in the valley.
It was one of the top ski resorts in the region.
For the longest time, High Peaks had fought against having a casino built in the area.
People felt it would only bring the small-town atmosphere down and lead to all manner of trouble.
But where there were tourists there would always be opportunity for deep-pocketed individuals to profit from it.
About to try Ray’s number again, he looked up to see the vet arriving.
A white Tesla pulled in and a petite woman in her late thirties with a kind smile got out.
She strode over to the small building; a sign above the door indicated that it was the Westside Animal Hospital.
The office was a simple brick structure, with a small parking lot out front and a place around back for dogs to run in an enclosed area.
Noah got out and she gave a wave.