Page 41 of Her Final Hours
“Start, you sonofabitch!”
It roared to life.
His tires spun wildly in the snow, struggling to bite the whitepowder as he tore out of the parking space backward. The front end spun as he turned the wheel, and then he crushed the gas pedal, fishtailing it through the parking lot. Just as he was tearing toward the exit, a snowplow came into view, obstructing his path and blocking the exit.
He slammed his hand on the horn multiple times to get the driver’s attention. “C’mon! Get out of the way!”
The driver, seemingly unperturbed by the situation’s urgency and kept driving slowly. More honking, and finally the driver stepped out, throwing his hands in the air, unaware of who McKenzie was as he was in an unmarked vehicle.
McKenzie exited, his heart pounding, shouting with impatience. “Get that damn thing out of the way!”
“What?” the guy said, trying to hear him over the howl of the wind.
McKenzie flashed his badge as a gesture of authority and waved his arms, but it was too late. By the time the snowplow driver’s eyes widened in realization, the taillights had disappeared. McKenzie cursed under his breath, frustration gnawing at him.
He tried again to radio for backup; this time, he reached dispatch.
15
Wednesday, March 21, 9:25 a.m.
It was the break in the case they needed, the tragedy they never wanted. Losing a deputy was never a good day, and from what he heard, Parker’s wife had a baby on the way. That only fueled his determination.
Noah was up early the following day to get the kids to school. After hearing the news of what happened at the hospital, he’d been eager to head over there, but the weather had taken a turn for the worst, and the long drive back from Clayton had taken a toll on him.
Still, it wasn’t bad news for everyone.
That morning, the school called for a snow day, which meant the kids got to stay home, and he would have to arrange for Gretchen to watch them. Noah felt a wave of guilt come over him. She’d been so good with the kids. Helping out when needed, but he could tell it was starting to take its toll. Asking her to help in the morning would have been a bit of a stretch.Gretchen wasn’t getting any younger, and from the tiredness in her face the night before, he decided instead to call Luke’s wife.
“I appreciate it, Kerri.”
“Well, that’s what family is for,” she said. “Besides, my two aren’t going anywhere, and at least if we have your two here, they will stay busy, and I might get a free moment in the day,” she said with a chuckle.
“I’ll drop them on my way out.”
In Elizabethtown Community Hospital,Noah entered a brightly lit security room full of a bank of monitors. He was clutching two steaming cups of coffee. Fatigue weighed heavy on his eyes, evidence of the long night he’d endured with questions spiraling in his mind.
“Ah, here he is. Is this what you call fashionably late?” McKenzie said, nudging Callie. “We were just about to send out a search party for you.”
“Sorry. The roads are hellish.”
“Sure are. Is that mine?” he asked, pointing to the tray.
“No, it’s mine,” Callie said.
“Oh great. I’ve been up all night, and you two roll in like you’re on a Sunday picnic, and you can’t even bring me a coffee?”
“Figured you had enough already.”
McKenzie glanced at a young security guard who nervously adjusted his glasses. His presence in the security room was a testament to his eagerness to assist in the investigation. “You see, Roger, what I have to put up with?”
“Ignore him.” Callie rose, taking her cup and thanking him.
“Aye. You always do.”
McKenzie was leaning against a desk, his piercing gazeturned toward the monitors. His disheveled appearance suggested he’d been up tirelessly working on the case most of the night. His determination was palpable.
The security room was compact, with screens displaying footage from different hospital areas. The room was filled with a low hum of machinery and the soft glow of monitors, creating an atmosphere that was tense and full of anticipation.
