Page 13 of Vanish From Sight

He squinted to the outcropping. “That cliff is a good 65 feet up. It certainly would have made the most logical place to dump a body along here if they didn’t bring her out in a boat… but… reaching it…” he trailed off.

“Difficult. Yes,” Callie said, cupping a hand over her eyes to block the glare of sunshine. “You ever leaped from it?”

He nodded. “A long time ago.”

Pulpit Rock was a popular landmark for cliff jumping. Way back when Noah was a kid, he and many other teens looking to test their bravery and courage had taken their turn jumping off the heart-stopping spot. It stood tall and imposing, jutting out over the shimmering lake. For years, teens and twenty-somethings had been daring each other to leap from it, prove their mettle and earn bragging rights. Few did it once. Even less tried a second time. Those that didn’t jump from the top did it from a few feet lower down.

Most used a kayak or motorized boat to reach the area. They would anchor it at the bottom and climb up the west-facing wall. As one who could attest to the magnitude of taking the leap, Noah knew it was anything but easy. The climb alone was treacherous. Some opted to go through the dense underbrush at the top but finding the exact spot was harder than it looked, as there were no trails.

Then, reaching the top, that’s when the fear really took hold. Noah recalled his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and terror. The sight of dark water far below was enough to make his knees wobble. The surface seemed impossibly far away, and the rocks that lined the shore or hid beneath the depths were like razor blades waiting to slice skin.

But still, there was something about it that continued todraw teenagers back year after year. A sense of camaraderie and adventure, one chance to prove you were fearless. He’d leaped from it six times, and never once could he say it was easy, but it had left him with a sense of triumph and elation.

The location had seen its fair share of accidents. The cliff held more risk than guaranteed success. One wrong step and the consequences were dire. And out there, if you were alone, no one would hear you scream.

“Is it as scary as people say?” she asked.

“One hundred percent,” he said as he focused on the top. “Any officers been up there?”

“Not that I know of. The focus is on the lake and areas that are more accessible. Waterfront properties on the west side and so on.”

“Come on then,” he said, turning back toward the Bronco.

“What?”

“Let’s check it out.”

“I… uh... should probably get this squared away with my sergeant. I’m meant to be securing the scene.”

He turned, smiling. “You are. Just elsewhere.”

“Noah, it’s not like last time.”

He waved her off. “Just tell them I’ve asked for your assistance.”

“You know we have a new detective.”

“Good. I’d like to meet them when they show up.”

She pursed her lips with a smile and got on her radio to update the powers that be. Noah had her hop into his vehicle instead of taking a cruiser.

Five minutes later,as the Bronco weaved down a narrow road, hugging the lake, Callie chimed in. “You know you can’t get close to that cliff by vehicle.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Which means the chances of them bringing her up this way would be slim.”

She wasn’t far wrong, there were only two roads that came close to the area: Mount Whitney Way and Ruisseaumont Way that looped around inside the forest area where a few waterfront properties lined the shore. The difficulty came with the hilly terrain. To reach the edge of Pulpit Rock from the top required traversing the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest that surrounded Mount Whitney and butted up against the Sentinel Range Wilderness. Vehicles could only go so far; the rest of the way required a hike.

“I know. But who’s to say anyone brought her here?”

Callie regarded him through skeptical eyes. “You’re buying the suicide theory?”

“No. But it hasn’t been ruled out either.”

As the sun filtered through the trees on the crisp fall afternoon, Noah pulled the Bronco up to the end of a quiet country road. Trees loomed overhead, casting long shadows across a pathway that disappeared into the dense forest.

He exchanged a quick glance with Callie before pushing out of the vehicle.