Page 36 of Vanish From Sight
He set his cup down. “No. Oh no. 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.”
“But still, parents wouldn’t have let that slide.”
“It never made it that far. Like I said. Katherine told me there were rumors circling around the school. Whoever was behind it was trying to mar her name. Alexander Hawthorne gave her an option. Leave or face the consequences of what not only could land her in jail but could destroy the reputation of High Peaks Academy. After that, her mental health declined. She was depressed. I tried to encourage her and tell her that she could find another job, but it was like that wasn’t what mattered to her. She felt as if she had been hung out to dry and had no recourse.”
“Did she ever mention a name, someone that she felt was behind it?”
“Not exactly. I mean, a few weeks before leaving she was working closely with one student. A boy. Sixteen. I can’t remember his full name. It was Charlie… something. For some reason she seemed disturbed yet hopeful by the conversations. As if she was going to make a big difference.”
“She never told you what it was about?”
“Client confidentiality. She was very particular about not sharing what students had divulged to her. It’s mostly anxiety, inability to cope, issues with parents and whatnot. I mean, all of the students they deal with down there are problems. They are there because no one else can deal with them.”
“So, you don’t think there was any merit to these rumors?”
“No. Absolutely not. Not for one minute.”
Noah nodded as he looked around. “How long have you been married, Mr. Evans?”
“Just over twenty years.” He ran a hand over his jawline.
“And no kids?”
“Not for a lack of trying. I’m infertile. That was also the cause of a few arguments this year.”
Noah exchanged a glance with Callie, silently communicating their doubts as Nicholas continued. “We’d considered going the route of sperm donation, in vitro fertilization and even adoption, but we just didn’t get around to it.”
“Do you own a firearm?”
“No. I have a license but Katherine didn’t want us to have one in the house. Was she shot?”
“Again, until we can confirm through dental records, I can’t say.”
He shook his head.
Noah rose. “Would you mind if I took a look around?” He figured that if her husband had anything to do with her murder, this was the best opportunity he would get to explore the house without a warrant and before Nicholas might try to cover his tracks if he hadn’t done so already. It also gave him a chance to see what his reaction might be.
“By all means,” Nicholas said. Noah wandered off as Callie continued to question him, hoping she might uncover a clue or inconsistency that might shed some light on the final day before she vanished.
Noah made his way around the house, scanning the living room and kitchen for any signs of a disturbance, damage or suspicious activity that might indicate a violent fight. Everything seemed normal, almost too normal, given the circumstances. The furniture was neat and tidy, the dishes washed. With blue latex gloves on, he opened cupboards and made a mental note of items. He wandered upstairs, entered the bathroom andopened the medicine cabinet. He noticed there were antidepressants, Prozac and Zoloft, prescribed to Katherine by a local healthcare provider. There was also a bottle of Ativan for insomnia or anxiety.
Right then, Noah felt his phone jangle in his pocket. He fished it out.
Continuing to browse, he answered. “Hey, Kerri, what’s up?”
“I did some digging on that waterfront property you asked me to check out,” Kerri replied, sounding serious. “I’m sorry to say, I haven’t had much luck finding anything on the LLC company that owns it. Whoever is behind it is really good at covering their tracks. From what I can tell, the name of the company is a front for conducting business without personal responsibility for debts or liabilities. My advice is to be careful and not accept the offer. Like the old saying, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.”
His suspicions had been confirmed. Whoever the mysterious benefactor was, they must have known he would look into their background.
“Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate your help. Do you think speaking with the real estate agent directly would give you any answers?”
“Suzanne Gilford? No. She’s a closed book. The trouble is, no one wants the competition. Having another agent sniffing around, could mean a cut in pay if I was to find someone for the property. No, Harland and Stafford keep all matters related to clients strictly confidential.” She paused. “Noah. I know it seems tempting. Heck, if someone offered me that place, I would be hard pressed not to take it, but without knowing who’s pulling the strings behind the curtain, you could find yourself getting into more than just a house. And who knows if you’d be able to get out.”
Noah knew Kerri was a reliable agent. She was the tip of thespear when it came to real estate in the region, her warning was enough to make him cautious.
“Thanks, Kerri,” he said before ending the call. He would have been lying to say he didn’t feel disappointed. Thoughts of all the crap homes he’d toured in the last two weeks came back to his mind. He’d considered contacting Alicia to see if she’d managed to have the cabin rebuilt. He could get into something new, modern, and probably work out a deal that was far better than what he could ever hope to find elsewhere.
Still, there would be strings attached there. He still hadn’t called her since he’d returned. Noah brought up his contacts, his thumb hovered over her name.
