Page 14 of Vanish From Sight (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #2)

A s steam swirled above their cups, Noah and Callie studied Nicholas’ face, searching for any sign of guilt or deceit after being told that his wife’s body was pulled from the lake.

Although they’d assisted him inside, now his demeanor was composed, almost eerily so. Shock could give the illusion that someone didn’t care even if they did. Nicholas sipped his coffee quietly, avoiding their gaze. Noah cleared his throat and leaned forward, breaking the uneasy silence.

“Is there someone we can call to be with you?”

“No. Well. My parents are in town but I wouldn’t want to burden them with this.”

Noah nodded. “Mr. Evans. What can you tell us about the last day you saw Katherine?” His tone was gentle but probing.

Nicholas looked up, meeting Noah’s gaze. For a moment, his face betrayed a flicker of emotion — was it fear or regret? It was gone as quickly as it appeared. “It was like any other morning.”

“What day?”

“Wednesday. I believe that was the sixteenth, I think.”

“So, two days before her body was found.” Noah glanced at Callie; she scribbled it down. It meant she had to have stayed somewhere, a motel, a friend, with parents, or perhaps the shelter.

“I brought her a coffee then left for work. She is usually here when I come home. I arrived back here just after five thirty. The SUV was gone and so was Sonny. I just assumed she’d taken him out for a walk to one of the parks in the area.”

“Was that normal?”

“Yes. The time that she took him out varied.”

“Did she ever head into High Peaks?”

“No. I mean. Not to take the dog for a walk. We have lots of trails and parks around here. With the fall it gets dark soon. She doesn’t like the dark.

That would have taken her a good thirty-minute drive.

” He sighed, then took another sip of coffee.

“When I hadn’t heard from her by six thirty, I texted but got no answer.

Ten minutes later I tried to phone. No answer.

Around eight, I was starting to get worried.

You know, that perhaps she’d been in an accident or something.

I phoned multiple times. I checked to see if she was online.

You know, because you get a green dot beside a person’s name on social media if they are online. ”

“And?”

“It was greyed out. By nine, I…”

He paused.

“Mr. Evans?”

He closed his eyes. “I was beginning to think she had done the same thing as the previous year. ”

“Why would you immediately jump to that conclusion versus thinking she could have been in an accident?”

“I assumed if it was an accident, she would have contacted me, or the police, or the hospital would have.” He set his cup down on the table and laced his fingers together. “By the following morning, I figured she was taking time away.”

“You said you never called her parents, work or friends this time?”

“No. But then again, things had been a little tense in the days leading up to her leaving.”

“And why was that?”

“Where do I even start? She lost her job at the Academy six months before.”

“Lost? We were told she stepped down.”

He chuckled. “Stepped down, my ass. They gave her no other option. She was told in no uncertain terms that if she didn’t leave of her own volition, she’d never get another job in counseling again. They forced her out.”

“Why?”

“In the months leading up to her exit from High Peaks Academy, several accusations had been brought to the attention of Alexander Hawthorne. Rumors, you might say.”

“Of what kind?”

“Sexual in nature.” He sighed. “Several students were saying that she was…” He looked uncomfortable. “Interfering with them.”

“But you don’t believe that?”

“Not for one minute. Katherine was a good woman. She loved her job. She loved those kids but not in that way. She would have walked over glass for her students. She liked to think of herself as an advocate for the ones who couldn’t speak out or were struggling with life.

The trouble is her job placed her alone one-on-one with students.

If someone didn’t like her, or wasn’t getting what they wanted, then it would have been easy to create a false narrative about her.

It’s not like their sessions are recorded. ”

“Was a report filed with the police?”

He set his cup down. “No. Oh no. High Peaks Academy is a prestigious school. They wouldn’t want that kind of heat. No. She was told to step down to avoid bringing the school’s name into disrepute.”

“But still, parents wouldn’t have let that slide.”

“It never made it that far. Like I said. Katherine told me there were rumors circling around the school. Whoever was behind it was trying to mar her name. Alexander Hawthorne gave her an option. Leave or face the consequences of what not only could land her in jail but could destroy the reputation of High Peaks Academy. After that, her mental health declined. She was depressed. I tried to encourage her and tell her that she could find another job, but it was like that wasn’t what mattered to her.

She felt as if she had been hung out to dry and had no recourse. ”

“Did she ever mention a name, someone that she felt was behind it?”

“Not exactly. I mean, a few weeks before leaving she was working closely with one student. A boy. Sixteen. I can’t remember his full name. It was Charlie… something. For some reason she seemed disturbed yet hopeful by the conversations. As if she was going to make a big difference.”

“She never told you what it was about?”

“Client confidentiality. She was very particular about not sharing what students had divulged to her. It’s mostly anxiety, inability to cope, issues with parents and whatnot. I mean, all of the students they deal with down there are problems. They are there because no one else can deal with them.”

“So, you don’t think there was any merit to these rumors?”

“No. Absolutely not. Not for one minute. ”

Noah nodded as he looked around. “How long have you been married, Mr. Evans?”

“Just over twenty years.” He ran a hand over his jawline.

“And no kids?”

“Not for a lack of trying. I’m infertile. That was also the cause of a few arguments this year.”

Noah exchanged a glance with Callie, silently communicating their doubts as Nicholas continued. “We’d considered going the route of sperm donation, in vitro fertilization and even adoption, but we just didn’t get around to it.”

“Do you own a firearm?”

“No. I have a license but Katherine didn’t want us to have one in the house. Was she shot?”

“Again, until we can confirm through dental records, I can’t say.”

He shook his head.

Noah rose. “Would you mind if I took a look around?” He figured that if her husband had anything to do with her murder, this was the best opportunity he would get to explore the house without a warrant and before Nicholas might try to cover his tracks if he hadn’t done so already.

It also gave him a chance to see what his reaction might be.

“By all means,” Nicholas said. Noah wandered off as Callie continued to question him, hoping she might uncover a clue or inconsistency that might shed some light on the final day before she vanished.

Noah made his way around the house, scanning the living room and kitchen for any signs of a disturbance, damage or suspicious activity that might indicate a violent fight.

Everything seemed normal, almost too normal, given the circumstances.

The furniture was neat and tidy, the dishes washed.

With blue latex gloves on, he opened cupboards and made a mental note of items. He wandered upstairs, entered the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet.

He noticed there were antidepressants, Prozac and Zoloft, prescribed to Katherine by a local healthcare provider.

There was also a bottle of Ativan for insomnia or anxiety.

Right then, Noah felt his phone jangle in his pocket. He fished it out.

Continuing to browse, he answered. “Hey, Kerri, what’s up?”

“I did some digging on that waterfront property you asked me to check out,” Kerri replied, sounding serious.

“I’m sorry to say, I haven’t had much luck finding anything on the LLC company that owns it.

Whoever is behind it is really good at covering their tracks.

From what I can tell, the name of the company is a front for conducting business without personal responsibility for debts or liabilities.

My advice is to be careful and not accept the offer.

Like the old saying, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. ”

His suspicions had been confirmed. Whoever the mysterious benefactor was, they must have known he would look into their background.

“Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate your help. Do you think speaking with the real estate agent directly would give you any answers?”

“Suzanne Gilford? No. She’s a closed book.

The trouble is, no one wants the competition.

Having another agent sniffing around, could mean a cut in pay if I was to find someone for the property.

No, Harland and Stafford keep all matters related to clients strictly confidential.

” She paused. “Noah. I know it seems tempting. Heck, if someone offered me that place, I would be hard pressed not to take it, but without knowing who’s pulling the strings behind the curtain, you could find yourself getting into more than just a house.

And who knows if you’d be able to get out. ”

Noah knew Kerri was a reliable agent. She was the tip of the spear when it came to real estate in the region, her warning was enough to make him cautious.