Page 113 of Vanish From Sight

“But surely all four wouldn’t go along with it.”

“If Charlie and Isabella are to be believed, they sexually assaulted a girl, Callie. They’ve already proven what they are willing to do together to get what they want. They have the most to lose. This isn’t just about the loss of a school’s reputation, no, it’s their entire lives. The only question is who out of them committed the murders.”

“Do you have an idea?”

He chuckled. “I wish I knew that much.”

“Okay, so we have motive and opportunity but what links them to the crimes?”

“That rope for one. Nicholas and Katherine weren’t climbers. There’s no gear in their home related to that. But at the Academy. They have wilderness staff. Access to gear for climbing and rope courses. Hawthorne said it himself the first day I visited him. So, when I phoned the school, I asked to speak with Dalton Mathers.”

“The expedition leader.”

“You got it.”

“He confirmed they use a specific rope. Mammut 9.5 Crag Dry. It’s not your run-of-the-mill rope you pick up from a local Walmart. We’re talking three hundred dollars or more. He emailed me a photo. It’s a match.”

“All right, so maybe it connects the school to the murders. What, so you think the teens’ DNA might be on it?”

“That’s what we’ll have to wait on a lab to confirm. Of course, we’d need to get a DNA sample for them. However, in the meantime we know from the medical examiner there was red fiber found on the rope that was wrapped around Katherine that could be connected to a vehicle, a home or clothing.”

“That’s why you were pushing to go back to the school.”

“At that time. No. I just figured that they needed a closer look.”

Callie got up, set her drink down and snagged up her jacket. “Right, well, we need to alert Isabella, Charlie and Hawthorne immediately.”

CHAPTER 32

Wednesday, November 23, 8:40 p.m.

Answers came fast and furious.

Noah’s theory began to solidify as a call from McKenzie came in on their way over to the Academy. He knew immediately from his subdued voice that he was having some difficulty telling him. “Forensics got back to me on the gun. They managed to recover the serial number.”

“And?”

“It’s registered to a Nathan Tomlin.”

Callie glanced over. Both of them instantly made the connection.

“Adam Tomlin’s father. Sonofabitch! Look, McKenzie, I called the school and spoke to the wilderness expedition teacher. That rope at the Evans residence.”

“Is a match. I know.” McKenzie paused for a second. “You were right.”

“We both were to some extent, we just weren’t able toconnect the dots until now,” Noah said. The Bronco raced through the winding roads of the Adirondacks, his heart pounding in his chest as he pressed harder on the gas. With his window partially cracked, he could hear the sound of the wind rushing past, and fall leaves rustling on the road as the Bronco blazed a way through them.

“Is Thorne with you?” McKenzie said, his voice piping out through the speakers of Noah’s Bronco.

“I’m here,” she replied.

“Good. I tried to contact Hawthorne to get him to pull in the students so we could speak with them but no one is picking up.”

Callie replied, “We’re nearly there anyway. You should—”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m already getting in the cruiser,” McKenzie cut her off.

As they sped toward the Academy, a growing sense of dread crept up his throat. The darkness of the night only added to the uneasy feeling in his gut. The headlights from the Bronco illuminated the road ahead, the shadows cast by the trees seemed to be creeping closer with every passing second. As they came around a bend in the road, they got an answer to why Hawthorne hadn’t answered the phone.