Page 81 of Vanish From Sight

He hopped down, his clothes still damp from the river.

“She didn’t kill herself. Don’t let them go there.”

“Come on, I’ll give you a ride back to town.”

“No, that’s my vehicle over there.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re in no state to drive.”

“I’m not going to harm myself, Savannah, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“As a friend, not as your supervisor, let me take you home. I’ll have one of the troopers follow in your vehicle.”

Noah gritted his teeth; his emotions were all over the place. One moment tearing up, the next feeling intense anger. Had it been anyone else, he might have dug his heels in, but a long history with Savannah had taught him that she always had his best interests at heart.

Minutes later, riding back in a Suburban, he was already beginning to switch from processing the tragedy for himself to what it now meant for Ethan and Mia. He’d need to bring the kids home with him, but to where? For the past two weeks he’d been between homes, feeling more like a vagabond than an anchor. At that moment what they needed was surety, safety, someone who would be there to guide them through the storm as in minutes, the rug of life would be pulled out from underneath them.

It was quiet on the journey back.

He glanced in his side mirror to see his vehicle behind them, driven by a trooper.

Noah asked Savannah to take him to Saranac Lake instead of Gretchen’s. The kids needed to know. He could have made a phone call to Aiden but these things were better done in person. It was one death notification he thought he would never have to give.

“Whatever you need. Just ask.”

“I appreciate that,” he said in a low voice.

“Take as much time off as you need.”

“Time off?”

She glanced at him, her hands clutching the wheel tightly as she navigated the dark, winding roads. “Yes, Noah. You’ll be taking time off.”

“I’m in the middle of an investigation.”

“You were. I’m assigning Ellis.”

“The hell you’re not.”

“I’m going to let that one slide because of what’s happened. But friend or not, I’m still your supervisor, and the decisions I make are for what is best for this county, the bureau and you. This is…”’

“Oh, cut the bull, Savannah. We have two dead women on our hands, and some psycho out there trying to make it look like suicide. Now Lena. Who knows if it’s related?”

“Until we process that vehicle and the M.E. does an autopsy, we can’t be certain what we are dealing with.”

“The gearstick was in neutral.”

“It could have shifted out of drive when it landed.”

“How many times have you seen that?” he asked. She didn’t reply so he continued. “She didn’t kill herself.”

“I didn’t say she did.”

“If anything, that suggests someone put the vehicle in motion and pushed it in.”

The tension was building and he was regretting accepting her offer of a ride. Now he realized why. She wanted to have thisconversation, to have him in a place where he couldn’t just walk away. She knew him too well.

“How did you find her?” she asked.