Page 67 of Twice Missing
Noah knew he wasn't getting anywhere, but he pressed on. "I know you say you didn't know Kayla, but did you ever hear any rumors of her involvement with a man in Massena?"
"I heard."
"Did you ever get a name on who she was seeing?"
"He worked for the solar project out there. That's all I know. No name."
Noah nodded, sensing they had reached the end of what Marcus was willing to share. "Is there anything else that you can tell us? Anything at all?"
Marcus' face hardened. "Yeah. You can tell that asshole Jacob Moon that I'll be visiting him as soon as I get out."
Noah glanced at the one-way mirror, then got up andexited the interview room with McKenzie in tow. In the hallway, he turned to his partner. "Do you believe a word he said?"
McKenzie shook his head. "No. He knew Emily Carter. Of that, I'm sure."
Oates appeared out of a room off to the right, his face a mask of professional neutrality. "Get what you need?"
"Enough for now," Noah replied. "I appreciate your cooperation.”
With that said, Noah and McKenzie walked on. As they turned a corner, McKenzie said, “You should have asked about getting access to the evidence gathered from Marcus’ trailer.”
“I will but not from Oates. I don’t trust him.”
27
The lights hummed overhead in the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Station, casting a harsh glow on the worn linoleum floors. Noah Sutherland stood in the hallway, his phone pressed to his ear as he updated Agent Gillian Jones on their progress. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee and bureaucracy.
"Yes, Agent Jones," Noah said, his voice low and measured. "We've just finished interviewing Marcus Rivers. He's denying any involvement with Kayla Bravebird or Emily Carter, but his body language tells a different story." He paused, listening to Jones' response. "I understand. We're proceeding carefully, but time is of the essence here."
As Noah continued his conversation, McKenzie approached a nearby officer. "Excuse me, where might we find the evidence locker?"
The officer, a stocky man with a weathered face, eyed McKenzie warily. "Evidence locker's not manned right now. I'll have to escort you."
McKenzie nodded, glancing back at Noah, who was wrapping up his call. The trio made their way down a narrow corridor, their footsteps echoing off the bare walls.
The officer unlocked a heavy metal door, revealing a room lined with shelves and locked cabinets. "What do you need?" he asked, his tone neutral but tinged with suspicion.
"To know what was logged into evidence from Marcus Rivers' place," Noah replied while pocketing his phone.
The officer disappeared into the room, returning moments later with a thick file. Noah flipped through it, his eyes scanning the pages quickly. He wasn't interested in the drug paraphernalia or personal effects so much as he was in what digital devices like laptops and phones Marcus owned. A digital trail could be the key to unraveling this complex web of connections.
"Three phones found," Noah muttered, more to himself than to McKenzie. "One's a burner phone, another is Marcus Rivers' personal phone, and a third is unknown."
"Has anyone been through them yet?" McKenzie asked, peering over Noah's shoulder.
The officer shook his head. "Not until we get a warrant."
Noah's brow furrowed. "Well, that should be fast. The justice building is here, isn't it?"
"The judge has gone home for the weekend," the officer replied, his tone flat.
"So call him," Noah pressed, frustration creeping into his voice.
The officer's expression hardened. "That's not how it works around here."
Noah bit back a sigh, understanding now why cases like these often dragged on for months, if not years. "Fine. I just want to see them. Get the serial codes off the phones, make sure they weren't stolen."
The officer hesitated, his gaze flicking between Noah and McKenzie. "I should run this by Oates."
