Page 7 of Twice Missing
Noah shook his head. "Not sure it will be of much use. Ten years. Any footage from home or business cameras will be moot. The case got a lot of publicity and exposure ten years ago, but nothing that I recall mentioned Saranac Lake. I would need to see the file on her."
"Were you on the case?" John asked.
"No, it was when my father was sheriff though."
"One county over."
"Yeah. Who was sheriff of Franklin back then?" Noah asked.
"That would have been Daniel Roberts."
Noah's head snapped up. "The Daniel Roberts, who later became Adirondack sheriff?"
"That would be him."
A knot formed in Noah's stomach. The last time he had come face to face with Roberts was during the investigation into his brother Luke's death. That case had uncovered deep-rooted corruption within the Adirondack Sheriff's Office. Roberts was now serving time in FCI Ray Brook, a medium security federal prison. Noah silently hoped that the case files kept by Franklin County were more reliable than those from High Peaks.
Pushing aside memories of that tumultuous time, Noah turned his attention back to the present. "I need to speak with the father.”
John led him to where Jack and his son waited, both looking cold and shaken. The boy, no more than fourteen, had a haunted look in his eyes that Noah recognized all too well.
"Mr. Hollister," Noah began, extending his hand. "I'm Investigator Sutherland with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. I know you've given your statement, but I was hoping you could walk me through what happened when you found the truck."
Jack nodded, his arm protectively around his son's shoulders. "We were out ice fishing, like we do most weekends. Eric here," he squeezed his son's shoulder, "he noticed something odd about the ice. Said it looked different, kind of darker in one spot. It was the outline of the truck, just barely visible under the ice."
Noah turned to Eric. "That was good spotting, Eric. You've got sharp eyes."
The boy nodded, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"I know this must have been a shock for both of you," Noah continued. "There are resources available in the community, group counseling if it helps, to deal with any questions you might have and work through it."
Jack shook his head. "Thanks, but Eric's fine. He's strong-minded. We'll work through this together."
Noah nodded, respecting the father's decision but making a mental note to follow up later. Trauma had a way of surfacing when least expected, and he'd seen too manycases where early intervention could have made all the difference.
As he thanked them and walked back towards his vehicle, Noah's mind was already racing ahead. The discovery of Emily Carter's body raised more questions than it answered. Why was she so far from her usual route? Was it truly a suicide, or was there something more sinister at play?
He pulled out his phone, dialing a familiar number. "Savannah?”
"How we doing?" she replied.
"Listen, I'm going to need the full case file from ten years ago. Franklin County has it. And set up interviews with Emily's family and close friends. I'm going to need to retrace her last known movements. I'm off home now."
"You're going home?"
"I'm not a machine. I need sleep. I can't think straight."
"Glad to see you prioritize some things above your job."
He chuckled. "Besides, not much else I can do here for now, not until the preliminary is done. Someone from local PD can handle the death notification."
"But you know her husband."
"No, I knew Emily. After high school we all went our separate ways."
"I want you to do it."
"Does it matter?"
