Page 87 of Vanish From Sight
“Convenient if you want to keep something buried.”
“I agree. For all we know, by the time she was hired they destroyed what records Katherine had, especially if the contents could have brought the Academy into disrepute.”
Callie glanced over to McKenzie who was squatting and staring at a chunk of metal. He was an oddball if she’d ever met one but she couldn’t deny he’d had a way of drawing out information from Hawthorne.
She looked back at Noah. “Anyway, among those names there are only two that stand out that she saw on an ongoingbasis. One was an eighteen-year-old girl, Isabella Perez who graduated last year, and the other was Charlie who is still a student at the Academy.”
“The timing of her graduation?”
“A week before the assault.”
“Well, let’s speak to Isabella Perez. Do we have an address for her?”
CHAPTER 24
Wednesday, November 23, 9:25 a.m.
Before leaving for the Perez home, they’d returned to County to ask Nate Sawyer why he lied about the meeting with Hawthorne. The answer would have to wait as an urgent call came in while they were on route from Savannah, offering a lead that could be tied to all three women.
“You’re sure that’s the location?” Noah asked, bringing it up on Google Maps to get a bird’s-eye view before half a dozen squad cars, a forensics van and State would descend upon it.
“The phone company confirmed it. This is the last location of Lena and the woman she called before heading to Split Rock Falls,” Savannah said.
“We got a name?”
“Teresa Barkley. Previous felon. Has a rap sheet as long as your arm. Warrant is already out for her arrest. Marshals have had her in their crosshair for the past fourteen months. Almostgot her in Chicago, eight months ago. Seems she decided to settle down here.”
The Adirondack Mountainswere silent and still as a convoy of police vehicles rumbled down the winding dirt road towards an old farmhouse nestled in the woods. Noah’s jaw clenched; his mind full of anger. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as the Bronco bumped over the uneven path.
No sirens wailed, filling the air with an eerie sense of foreboding. They had finally tracked down where Lena had been prior to her demise. Had she died here? Or had they waited until she was out at the gorge?
As they got closer to the dilapidated farmhouse, his heart sank.
He eased off the gas, killed the engine and got out, service weapon at the ready. He felt a surge of rage as he made his way forward.
Like a wave, deputies moved in on the farmhouse and outbuildings, and orders were bellowed.
There was no sign of anyone.
No one rushed out to flee or meet them spewing lies. It was early but not for farm life. His eyes scanned the tree line, the outbuildings, the farm equipment and a barn which was full of bales of hay stacked high into the rafters.
There was a slew of empty cages and dog crap.
Near that was a shed for cows with milking equipment and a large tank for storing liquid. A pigpen was nearby with a group of contented hogs snuffling around in the mud.
The earthy aroma of hay and manure mixed with soil was overpowering.
“What have we got?” he asked as he approached the largefarmhouse with a wraparound porch and a faded red roof. The paint was peeling everywhere. The overall appearance was one of age and disrepair. The windows were large and open, letting in light but not enough fresh air to clear the musty stank inside.
“It’s empty,” a deputy said, passing Noah on the way in.
Deputies cleared the rooms, checking for any sign of Teresa and those responsible. But all that was found was empty space and the remnants of life lived. It looked as if they had abandoned the house in a hurry, with furniture overturned and personal items scattered about. Cops rummaged through drawers and closets, but found nothing.
Then as he was about to leave, Noah noticed a glint of metal on the floor in the living room. Among all the trash, he might not have given it a passing glance if it wasn’t for the gold band attached to it. He’d recognize that anywhere. He’d bought it in High Peaks. It was Lena’s. Noah’s heart sank at the realization. He figured she must have torn it off to leave behind a clue, to let him know that not only had she been there but that she’d never really put her relationship with him behind her.
As he bent down and picked it up, he muttered, “That’s why you had cold feet.”
Noah felt an ache in his chest. It was a bittersweet moment, knowing that she had thought of him in her final moments, but also that he was too late to help her.
