Page 101 of Vanish From Sight
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.
Noah walked backward, looking at the house and making his way over to the tree line. “You said the main garage door was locked but the one inside the house that leads into the garage was open or at least unlocked. Perhaps that’s why Nicholas was out of his car. When he realized the engine wouldn’t shut off, he got out to go into the house. He couldn’t get into the house because a chair was jammed up behind the door and the garage was locked. Trapping him inside. All to make it look like a suicide. Now, you all arrive, spook whoever did this, and they pull the chair away but don’t have time to put it back the way they found it. They exit through the rear and over to the tree line without being seen by those around the front,” he said, pointing to the length of the house and how it could block anyone in the driveway or at the front door from seeing someone making a break for the trees.
“So, someone was already in the house and planted the evidence?” Callie asked.
McKenzie groaned. “Please. Would you listen to yourselves? This is our man. If he wakes up, I’m sure he’ll give some sob story and if he doesn’t, we have enough evidence to bury his ass.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Noah said. “But think about it. He’s smart enough to work for a bank, organized enough to steal an SUV, clever enough to kill two people without anyone seeing him, but sloppy enough to keep the evidence that could send him away? C’mon!”
“It’s not the dumbest thing I’ve seen a suspect do,” McKenzie said, shrugging. “Besides, maybe he knew we were closing in onhim and he opted to take the easy way out. It was only a matter of time before we would have figured it out.”
“Well, that’s the problem, McKenzie. Time. He had plenty of time to dispose of those items. Leaving them out in the open. No. I don’t buy it.”
“Like I said. Maybe he didn’t expect to be caught because he planned on killing himself. You and I have both have had those calls where someone kills a person, calls 911, sits their ass down and waits for the boys in blue to show up and arrest them, or they take a gun and blow their brains out. It’s called losing your mind, Noah, and I’m losing mine right now entertaining any other theory besides the one that is blatantly obvious.”
“It’s too obvious. Like someone wanted these items to be found. It’s too clean. Besides, I did a preliminary sweep of the home back when we interviewed him. I never saw any gun in a closet.”
“Then he had it stashed elsewhere with the intention of using it later. Maybe it was in his car. Maybe it wasn’t even in the house. What matters is it’s in there now. We’ll soon find out if it was involved in Katherine’s murder.”
“Yeah, and while you’re at it, maybe you can magically come up with a home pregnancy test and a video of them arguing about it.”
McKenzie laughed and shook his head. “Sutherland, you talk about ego but maybe it’s yours that is clouding your judgment. You’re just pissed because I don’t just have our man, I have the whole kit and kaboodle.”
“What does that even mean?” Callie said. “Kaboodle?”
McKenzie groaned.
Noah continued, “If you do. Good. There is nothing more I want than to see whoever did this go away but that doesn’t answer Lena’s death.”
“Maybe it’s not related. Or if it is, she got too close. From what I hear, she did have a way of sticking her nose into things.”
