Page 65 of Vanish From Sight

“Concerning what?”

“The reason why she was forced to step down.”

“Which was??”

“The Academy was trying to say that she was sexually involved with the teens she was counseling. You know, taking the angle that has been seen with other female teachers across this country. Now sure, there have been some that have overstepped the line but not Katherine. I never got that impression.No, there was something more to this. That’s why she hired me. To help. To dig. To uncover the truth.” He shook his head and offered back a genuine look of surprise. “And now Laura? And my vehicle? Oh, yes, I can see how this is trying to be spun.”

Noah thought back to what Nicholas Evans had said when asked why the parents of students hadn’t filed a complaint with the local PD.“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.”

Could they have covered it up?

“Would you know who might have wanted to steal your vehicle?”

He laughed. “Despite the obvious. Nicholas. Someone from the Academy. Take your pick. There are any number of people that would love to see me go down in flames.”

“Why?”

“Envy. Hatred. Greed. Pick one. The newspaper, government officials, I’ve exposed handfuls of assholes over the years. In my line of work it comes with the territory. Don’t believe me? Look at all the journalists who have mysteriously ended up dead when they were investigating corruption.”

“So, you’re a popular guy,” McKenzie said.

“No. Unpopular but for all the right reasons,” he replied.

“Did you know Katherine was pregnant?” Noah asked, coming straight out with it. He wanted to gauge his reaction or lack thereof. The smile disappeared from Sawyer’s face, as if someone had stolen a breath. He leaned back and got this expression that could have been read any number of ways.

“She was pregnant?”

Noah nodded.

“Listen, where were you on Friday the eighteenth of November?”

“That’s simple. I worked all day then had a meeting in the evening.”

“With who?”

“Alexander Hawthorne.”

“Would he recall that?”

“I sure as hell think so. I was about to write one hell of a piece on that place.”

Noah stared at him, trying to see a break in his demeanor. There was none. He rose from his seat. “You want some coffee or a cigarette?”

Sawyer nodded slowly. Noah figured it would be a good time to confer with the others. He gestured with a nod of the head to the door and the three of them stepped out. They went back into the room that gave them a clear view of Sawyer. His head hung low, he was rubbing his hands and muttering to himself.

“You think he could be the daddy?” Callie asked.

“We’ll soon know once they get the DNA of the fetus.”

McKenzie put his foot up on a chair and leaned forward, eyeballing Sawyer through the window. “Only if there is a match. I hardly think he is going to give us consensual DNA without a warrant or court order.”

“Hence the reason for a cup of coffee and a smoke,” Noah said. They would use surreptitious DNA, otherwise known as cast-off DNA, which came from a tissue, a cup, or another used object.

“Do you think he could have murdered Katherine over the baby and then taken out Laura because Katherine had told her?” Callie asked.

McKenzie balked. “Steady on, lass, you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions there. Murdering someone over a baby? You saw the look on his face. He had no bloody idea that she was pregnant.”

“Or he wanted it to appear that way,” Noah added, not taking his eyes off Sawyer.