Page 49 of The Catcher
As Porter filled him in on the details surrounding Colt Banning’s disappearance, Noah listened intently, pushing aside his distractions.
“Parents spoke to his friends. They told them a couple of teens saw him leave through a side door at the house, but that was the last sighting. His buddy said he went to use the washroom and was supposed to leave with them. A canvass of the area yielded one of his sneakers found at a nearby defunct gas station, along with drag marks.”
“And the home?”
Porter glanced down at his tablet. “Belongs to the home of a teen whose parents were away for the weekend.” He glanced at Noah’s screen. “Found anything of interest?”
“Found?”
He motioned to the computer Noah was staring at. “Aren’t you going over the evidence from the Matthews girl?”
“What evidence? McKenzie gathered it. He’s supposed to bring it in this morning,” he replied, looking at his wristwatch. “Which reminds me. Where is he? He’s supposed to be here by now.”
“Phone him.”
“Already have, twice.”
“Try Callie.”
“Rather not.”
Porter raised an eyebrow.
Noah was quick to explain. “I meant. I think she worked a late shift last night.”
Terry Braithwaite stood by the window, a folder in hand, chewing on a toothpick. “Speak of the devil. Looks like your boyfriend just rolled up,” he said. “You make quite a pair between his tardiness and you hitting the bottle. I always thought you were gunning for that brunette over there, but now I can see the connection.”
“Screw you, Terry.”
“Yeah, I bet you’d like that,” he said, wandering off.
Terry had been riding his ass for the past year about his close ties with the Adirondack Sheriff’s Office only because he’d been in line for the position with BCI but was turned down by Savannah. Since then, he’d been taking personal jabs, looking for any reason to show a lack of work ethic by Noah, and calling his position “The Sutherland Privilege.”
Rumors had even swirled in the Department that Noahwas involved in some menage a trois with Savannah and her lesbian love. Savannah had reprimanded Terry over that one, but that hadn’t eased the remarks.
“Aye, so this is where all the magic happens!” McKenzie said in his thick Scottish accent as he entered through double doors. “A real coffee machine. How come the state can swing that, but the county gives us the dregs? I wouldn’t be surprised if we are getting your hand-me-downs.”
“You’re aware you’re an hour late,” Porter said.
“Aye, laddie, and I’m good-looking to boot.” McKenzie grinned as he replied, brushing past him like he was just the help. “Be a good lad, and go get me a coffee. Black, two sugars.”
Porter didn’t budge.
McKenzie slumped down in a chair across from Noah. “You look like shit.”
“Feel like it.”
“Callie find you in the end?”
“Yeah. Look, she said you had some evidence?”
“Well, it’s not evidence so much as it is directions. It took me some time to find them, but they were there — at the swimming pool. That’s why I was late,” he said.
“I thought it was because you were getting your beauty sleep?”
“What?”
“Callie said.”
