Page 27 of Her Final Hours
Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He moved his chair forward a little, shifting gears, not willing to let the window of opportunity pass. With a mix of trepidation and determination, and without asking, he swiped the screen and tapped his camera app, and showed the girl the deceased man’s face. He was hoping for any reaction that could provide a clue. “Do you know this man?” he asked, turning his phone toward her and showing her. Her eyes fell upon the image, and the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically.
In an instant, the girl’s entire demeanor transformed. Her body tensed, and she recoiled in her chair, almost toppling over as fear consumed her. Her eyes widened in terror, fixated on the photo as if she had just seen her abductor. Panic filled the room, replacing the previously serene atmosphere with a sense of urgency and distress.
Athena reacted swiftly to the girl’s response, rushing to calm her down. But Noah, driven by the need for answers, persisted, his voice laced with desperation as he pleaded with the girl to say anything.
However, the girl’s fear and trauma had reached a breaking point. Her screams filled the room, a haunting cry of anguish and terror. Athena’s assistant intervened, stepping betweenNoah and the girl and wrapping a protective arm around her trembling shoulders.
Athena forcefully guided Noah towards the exit, ensuring his removal from the room.
Outside, her anger and concern were evident as she confronted him. “What the hell was all that about?” she demanded, her voice tinged with frustration.
Noah’s own emotions were running high as he replied, “I had to know. I had to see if there was any connection, any reaction.”
Athena shifted from one foot to the next. “Well, there was a reaction. The next time you decide to pull something like that, run it by me first. You might have set us back days now,” she admonished, her gaze returning to the window. The girl remained in a state of hysteria. Nurses and a doctor rushed into the room, preparing to administer a sedative to calm her down.
Realizing the gravity of the situation and the consequence of his impulsive actions, Noah felt a heavy weight of regret. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “But we have checked all our databases. She doesn’t show up in CODIS, children’s services don’t have anything, and her fingerprints and facial recognition gave us nothing. We will run her DNA through a genealogy system, which will take time. Parabon Nanolabs in Virginia are fast, but even they have their limits. We are fumbling around in the dark here. If she can remember that person, maybe she can remember more if we work with her, maybe under hypnosis.”
She offered back a blank expression.
He turned away, his mind swirling with unanswered questions and a sense of missed opportunity.
Athena’s expression softened slightly, acknowledging the complexity of the situation. “You should leave now,” she said, full of concern but also dismissal. “We need to focus on stabilizing her.”
“We’re not done with her.”
“For tonight you are.”
He nodded, silently turning and walking back down the corridor, his thoughts consumed by the girl’s reaction and the potential connection to the dead man. Though he had hoped for answers, he was left with even more questions, a frustrating blend of uncertainty and determination lingering in his mind.
Noah released his frustration outside the hospital, gripping his phone tightly and banging a fist against his steering wheel. He didn’t want to make the call, but with so little to go on and so much of the case resting in the past, he had no choice.
He dialed his father’s number, waiting anxiously for him to pick up.
10
Monday, March 19, 3:15 p.m.
It was to be a long overdue conversation.
The way Noah saw it, he could kill two birds with one stone. He’d never been one to confront his father, but ever since he’d learned about his involvement with the Ashford family, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mutually beneficial arrangement he’d made. Of course, there was the matter of the missing girls. If he could have circumvented talking to him about it, he would have, but with so many years passed and the way policing had evolved, most of what was known might have been buried inside his mind instead of in paperwork.
Before he could ask his questions, Hugh told him to swing by as there was someone at his door. The conversation ended abruptly, and he groaned at the thought of having to visit his father’s home nestled on the serene Mirror Lake.
Noah maneuvered carefully through the snowy streets.
As he got closer, the scent of pine needles and fresh lake water permeated the air, bringing tranquility and nostalgia. The cold breeze took the bite of winter as it prepared for its final dumping of the season. So many memories had been created there, combining good and evil, where nature converged with his past.
As the Bronco rolled to a stop in front of the two-car garage, he noted how winter had blanketed the house in a thin layer of snow, casting a serene and frigid beauty over the property.
The grandeur of the place struck him again. The house stood stoically, its rustic charm blending seamlessly with picturesque surroundings accentuated by the glistening snow that adorned its roofs and windowsills. The exterior boasted a combination of weathered wood and stone as if the very essence of the Adirondacks had been harnessed to construct it. Icicles hung delicately from the eaves, their icy fingers reaching toward the ground. The once lush greenery had now been transformed into a winter wonderland, with snow-laden pine trees framing the property.
As soon as he arrived and got out, he felt the chilly bite of the air, causing his breath to form a misty vapor. Noah squinted at a “Coming Soon” real estate sign standing outside amidst the snow. The name of Kerri Sutherland, his brother’s widow, emblazoned on the sign, tugged at his heartstrings.
Moving toward the house, he steadied himself, preparing for the emotionally charged encounter that awaited him. He knew the conversation wouldn’t be easy, but the urgency of the situation propelled him forward.
He immediately heard a commotion near the entrance, urging him to quicken his pace. The front door stood partially open, revealing a glimpse of the chaos within.
“Dad? Hey, Dad,” Noah said, entering the house. The soundof a fan whirling, attempting to disperse cool air and dry paint, caught his attention.
