Page 27 of Vanish From Sight (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #2)

T he investigation had roadblocks every step of the way.

As Callie approached his desk, McKenzie tossed an antacid tablet into his mouth.

He lifted a finger to tell her to wait while he gulped down water then tossed the paper cone into the trash.

He grimaced; eyes tightly shut before he let out a loud belch.

“Sonofabitch.” He glanced at his watch. “Not even halfway through the day. That’s the fourth one.

You suffer from acid reflux, Thorne?” he asked, slumping down in his seat.

“Can’t say I do.”

“What’s your secret?”

“Simple. Don’t drink so much coffee.”

McKenzie gave her an incredulous expression as if dumbfounded by her response. “Next you’ll be telling me to give up alcohol.” He sniffed hard and glanced up at her. She shrugged. “Oh please.” He waved her off. “What you got there? ”

Callie tapped a folder on the edge of her leg. “Is Noah still around?”

“No. He had to leave urgently. Didn’t say why. I don’t expect he’ll be back for the rest of the day, so it looks like it’s just you and I, princess.”

“Well, it seems that Nate Sawyer’s alibi about the SUV checks out. He filed a stolen report the same night with High Peaks PD. Made a big fuss about it. Even said he would sue them if they sat on it.” She handed over a printed report.

McKenzie took it and scanned the sheet. “That sounds like our lad,” he said. “One glance at him and you can tell he thinks the world owes him something. So, what about the names he gave?”

Callie looked back down at her folder.

“Eight employees at the warehouse that evening, two of whom work for him doing research, six others in the adjacent businesses, were there until eight. They spoke with him after he returned from picking up his meal that night at around ten minutes past five. The restaurant has him on video paying for it a little before that at five o’clock.

He was at work the rest of the night except for a window of about twenty minutes after six when he went back out to the local liquor store to get some beer. ”

“And?”

“And what?” she replied.

“Did you verify it, because that’s in line with the timing of our jogger?”

“Of course. CCTV has his truck arriving outside the liquor store and him going in,” she said, handing him a photo taken from the footage. He noted the time stamp.

“He entered at six twenty-five. That’s a little more than twenty minutes.”

“Five minutes. Give or take. ”

McKenzie pulled up Google Maps. “Station Street Wine and Liquor is no more than five minutes away from the warehouse and you say he was gone for at least twenty minutes, where did he go between six and the time he arrived at the liquor store? He’s then seen arriving back at work at six-thirty.”

“You think he was involved?” Callie asked.

“I don’t jump to conclusions, honey, I explore scenarios. Everything is on the table until it’s not.”

Callie shook her head. “It’s just under ten minutes to go from Old Military Road to Connery Pond Trailhead. That would only give him a ten-minute window to kill Laura and hang her in the woods and then he still has to drive back to the liquor store. No. He would need more time.”

McKenzie sniffed hard. “You ever heard of a thing called speeding? Last I heard, it reduces time.”

“Don’t be a prick.”

He chuckled.

She continued. “Someone who is under pressure and worried about being seen would need more time. Far more than thirty minutes.”

“Possibly. If he was the only one involved.”

“And what about motive?”

“In this day and age, does anyone really need a motive? We are living in a weird world. Who knows? Maybe Laura rejected his advances. He does have a history of sexual harassment.”

“Alleged.”

“Sure. Alleged,” he replied.

She rolled her eyes.

McKenzie eyed her as Callie collected up the paperwork and placed it back in the folder. “You have aspirations to become a detective, don’t you, Thorne?”

“I never said that,” Callie replied, still busy stuffing the paperwork back into the folder .

“Didn’t need to. After assisting Noah with Luke’s murder. That must have put a feather in your cap, you know — put the idea in your head that you can do this, right?”

She didn’t reply.

“Let me give you a reality check. You know, princess, back when I was in the Big Apple, I encountered all types who wanted this position. Take a guess at how many quit or returned to a different position?”

“Like you?” she asked, getting a sense that he was trying to dissuade her.

He smiled. “I’m just saying that it takes a very particular person to do this job. Only the brightest minds can weather the storm, see through the bullshit and handle the frustration of the revolving door of justice.”

“Well then I guess I’m fortunate to be learning from the best,” she said, cocking her head.

He wagged his finger at her and winked. “See, now you’re catching on.”

“Oh, I was referring to Noah,” she replied as she turned. She couldn’t hide her amusement as she walked away with a smile.

“Well, you’re not with him right now, princess, you’re with me, so don’t get cheeky.” He got up from his desk and thumbed over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“To speak with Hawthorne about Sawyer’s alibi for the night of Katherine’s death and see what else we can find out that got overlooked.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for Noah to get back?”

“Justice doesn’t wait for anyone.”