Page 39 of Vanish From Sight (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #2)

T he drive back from Plattsburgh was long and arduous, the highway stretched out endlessly in front of them.

For an hour, Noah had pushed the accelerator, watching the miles tick.

As they hit the outskirts of town, he blared the siren, clearing traffic before them.

They raced through the streets back to the home of the first victim’s husband, Nicholas Evans.

McKenzie hadn’t given them much in the way of details, only that they needed to get there as soon as possible.

Noah had chewed the gristle of the case, finding it all a little hard to swallow.

The process of elimination wasn’t linear, it had taken them on a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns while offering little in the way of solid evidence or motive.

Even though he had his theories, those wouldn’t stand up in court.

Now, as they turned onto the quiet suburban street and pulled up to the house in Keene Valley, his heart rate quickened, and he felt a sense of dread. McKenzie and the forensics team were already inside.

Media vans lined the street, their satellite dishes pointed skyward, like giant antennae searching for a signal.

Reporters and photographers bustled about, trying to get the best angle on the unfolding situation.

Microphones and boom poles jutted out from the throng as they vied for position and to get the money shot.

“Geesh, they didn’t waste any time getting here.”

“Small towns. Word travels fast,” Noah said.

“Don’t talk to them, just follow me in.” He knew what it would be like as soon as they got out.

Like a pack of vultures, they would swarm them.

Even though squad cars had been positioned like a wall to keep them back and the home had been cordoned off with yellow police tape, that wouldn’t stop them from pushing their luck.

Noah veered to the edge of the road and the two of them got out, making a strong beeline for the house. Almost immediately they were besieged by media, his face synonymous with law enforcement since the attention Luke’s case had garnered.

“Mr. Sutherland. Mr. Sutherland. Can you tell us…”

“No comment.”

They hurried up to the tape where a deputy lifted it to allow them to duck under before he shut down the wave of reporters behind them. Noah could hear them continuing to shout questions, hoping to glean some information about what was happening inside.

Noah had no idea, but was about to find out.

Ahead of them the house stood silent and foreboding, its windows covered by curtains to block reporters who were using long lens cameras.

Inside it was a stark contrast to the frenzied activity outside.

They passed by some members of the forensic team who were still working hard, examining the scene for any clues .

McKenzie was discussing evidence found.

“Good job. Log it. I want samples of everything.” He glanced their way. “Ah, finally, did you take the scenic route?”

“Hilarious. What did you find?” Noah asked.

He led them over to an open door that was still being brushed down for prints.

“Seems our suspect was hoping to off himself after we got that search warrant. We arrived to the sound of an engine. The smell of fumes was strong. The garage was locked. We entered through the door in the house and found Nicholas unresponsive, folded over on the floor beside his vehicle that was pumping out fumes. He wasn’t coherent, and there was some blood in his nose.

We called for an ambulance. They’ve taken him to Saranac. So far, he’s still alive.”

“You say he was outside of his vehicle?”

“Yeah. The garage was closed. That side door we just came through from the house was closed.”

“Locked?”

“No. Only the garage door.”

“Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

“What, because he wasn’t found in the vehicle with a tube tucked inside?

No. It doesn’t take much for carbon monoxide to poison you.

I’m thinking either he was already outside of the vehicle or he second-guessed his decision when he heard us arrive, and got out and only made it over to those steps before he collapsed.

The only thing that was strange is that the vehicle wouldn’t shut off.

One of our guys turned the key and the engine was still going.

Luckily one of the forensic guys knew a thing or two about engines and popped open the fuse box and took out the relay and then the engine shut off.

I figure he screwed with the car, just in case he had second thoughts. He didn’t want a plan B.”

“Or someone screwed with it and he got out with the intention to figure it out. Was the hood already popped? ”

“Don’t know. I wasn’t in here.” McKenzie turned. “Bailey!”

One of the forensic team appeared in the doorway, outfitted in a full-body protective suit made of the lightweight, breathable material known as Tyvek.

“Was the hood already popped when you went to take out the relay?” Noah asked.

Bailey shrugged. “Not sure.”

“Well, you would have felt the tension,” Noah said.

“I can’t recall. I just wanted to get in and out fast.”

“Useless bugger,” McKenzie said, turning back to the vehicle. “Anyway, doc says Nicholas might not pull through but he will keep us updated. I’m praying he does because I can’t wait to see his face when we charge him for a double homicide.”

“On what evidence?” Noah’s voice was tinged with impatience.

McKenzie grinned, a glint in his eye as he beckoned Noah and Callie back into the house to a nearby table. Bagged up, ready to be logged, were multiple items.

“That unique colored rope tied off around Katherine and also used to hang Laura. We found it in his yard shed hanging up. It’s cut at the end.

I figure that will be a match.” He reached for the next item which was a Glock 22.

“You said he didn’t have a license. Seems that didn’t stop him from obtaining a gun on the black market.

Serial number has been scratched off. Of course, we’ll need to get ballistics involved to match the casing you found to this, but I figure it will be a match for the one used to kill Katherine. ”

“And what’s this?” Noah asked, lifting a bag with a set of keys inside.

“Take a look.”

Gloving up, he reached in and took them out to see the emblem for a Kia Sportage on the key fob .

“The damn thing was hanging up on the key rack. Imagine that.”

“Yeah. Imagine that,” Noah said, glancing over his shoulder toward the rack near the front entrance.

“My theory is Nicholas found out that Katherine was pregnant. They had a big fight. Probably wanted to know who the father was, or maybe she just told him outright. Then two days before she was pulled from the lake, she left and went and stayed at Nate Sawyer’s place.

We know it’s his baby. So, husband loses it, kills Katherine and then follows up by stealing Sawyer’s vehicle and killing Laura with the hope of pinning it on Sawyer. ”

Noah set the keys down, shaking his head. “No. It doesn’t add up.”

“Of course it does. Sutherland, the evidence is staring you in the face.”

“That’s what concerns me. How long has Nicholas had since the murders to get rid of these? You’re telling me he kept the rope, and the keys to Sawyer’s burnt-out SUV on his hook? And what about the gun? Where was that found?”

McKenzie stared back. He hesitated a moment before he replied. “In his closet.”

Noah raised an eyebrow at him. Callie shook her head.

“Come on, McKenzie. You’ve been a detective long enough.

How many cases have you worked where you’ve seen this amount of evidence all in one place?

People throw guns, melt them down, dispose of them, they don’t keep them in their closet.

They sure as hell don’t hang up the key to a stolen vehicle on the hook.

No, he had plenty of time to dispose of these.

He had to know he’d be the first person to be served with a search warrant.

And then we have Sawyer saying he never saw Katherine in those days between the day she left and the night she was pulled from the lake — and by the look on his face when we told him Katherine was pregnant, he didn’t know. She never went to his house.”

“So, Katherine never told Sawyer and Nicholas killed her before she could,” McKenzie replied. “It doesn’t change anything.”

Callie inspected the items while Noah browsed the kitchen, running a hand around the back of his neck and continuing, “Maybe. I mean, sure, it’s plausible if he found out about her being pregnant, but why wait until she was walking the dog? Why not just kill her at the house?”

“Well, forensics is still taking a fine-tooth comb over this place. Perhaps he did.”

“Then he plants the casing? No, the scene showed signs of a scuffle.”

“That’s conjecture,” McKenzie said.

Noah eyed the room. Callie followed his gaze. “What is it?” Callie asked.

“Look at the chairs in the dining area.”

All of them were tucked neatly under the table, barring one that was out.

“Anyone from the team touch that?” Noah asked.

McKenzie checked in with the forensics team and the deputies. None had. Noah ran his gloved fingers over the top of the chair, noting scrape marks. He picked it up and moved through the kitchen over to the door that led into the garage. He closed it and jammed the chair underneath the handle.

“Was the front door to the house locked?” Noah asked.

“It was.”

“And the rear one open?”

“Closed but unlocked,” McKenzie replied. “Look, Sutherland. Just admit it. You’re pissed because I beat you to the punch.”

“Don’t let your ego cloud your judgment,” Noah said, removing the chair, taking it back to the dining area and discarding it in a manner as if he was in a hurry to get out. He then headed for the rear door.

“What the hell are you doing, Sutherland?” McKenzie shouted.