Page 79 of Fatal Fame
As they stepped into the corridor, Noah glanced at his sister with annoyance. Maddie had always been brilliant. She had worked for a law office in Albany, and had joined the local district attorney's office by twenty-eight. She had gained a reputation for turning weak cases into dismissed charges. As much as he admired her work as an attorney, and how useful her legal expertise had been in their professional relationship over the years, there were moments like this that added friction to their family dynamic.
McKenzie headed for the water cooler, his expression full of irritation. "If your sister thinks she's going to walk him out of here, she has another thing coming."
Noah was already pulling out his phone, opening Google Maps to follow a new lead. The interview had revealed gaps in their investigation, holes that needed filling before they could make any case stick.
"The guy is a total tool," McKenzie continued, filling his paper cup with lukewarm water. "He's showing all the signs of avoidance."
Noah scrolled through his contacts, looking for a specific number.
“Who are you calling?" McKenzie asked.
"Someone else."
"Why?"
"No blood or DNA at the scene or on Pierce's body, McKenzie. I mean, I get it, all roads appear to lead to Marcus in terms of evidence. But it's circumstantial at best. Would it hold up in court? His voice? Yes, no, maybe. We need somethingconcrete. Something that truly places him there or at least confirms he wasn't."
McKenzie stared at him. "Sutherland, I think you've lost your marbles too. The video doesn't show him enter his room or leave it. And a maid clearly said she entered there twice and he wasn't in there. So either he never returned?—"
"Or he did but exited through the window."
"But we already checked with the hotel about internal and external cameras. They weren't operational."
Noah held up a finger as his call connected. "This is Investigator Noah Sutherland from State Police. Can you confirm if you have recordings from your surveillance cameras for the past three days?"
He listened, nodding a couple of times while McKenzie watched with growing curiosity. "Uh-huh. Right. Yes, if you could phone me back and then send that to my email—" He rattled off his address. "I would appreciate it. Thank you."
He hung up and turned to McKenzie's expectant stare.
"Want to clue me in?"
"There's a church across the street facing the back side of the hotel. The hotel cameras may not be working, but theirs are, and they have a clear shot of anyone who exited through those rear windows."
They paced the corridor, nervous energy keeping them in motion. Noah went to the vending machine and fed it crumpled dollar bills, watching it dispense something that vaguely resembled coffee. The machine groaned and kicked out a cup of sludge that passed for caffeine, bitter and lukewarm.
Twenty minutes passed in tense silence before Noah's phone rang. He answered on the second ring.
"Investigator Sutherland? This is Pastor Williams returning your call. I've sent the file to your email. You might want to take a look."
Noah opened his email and loaded the video file, fast-forwarding to the time frame between 7:30 and 9:30 PM. The black-and-white surveillance footage showed the rear of the hotel with stark clarity.
"Sure enough. There we go," he said, pointing at the screen as a figure appeared, climbing out of a window and making his way along the back of the hotel before being assisted by two arms to climb into another room.
No sooner had he spoken than Maddie opened the interview room door. "My client wishes to speak to you."
"Hold on, Sutherland," McKenzie said, but Noah was already heading back into the room. Once the door clicked shut, Marcus, whose head had been dropped in defeat, spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
"I was at the hotel. But I wasn't in my room. I was with Pierce's fiancée."
"Sienna?" McKenzie said, his eyebrows rising.
Marcus nodded, still unable to meet their eyes.
"I know you were," Noah said, showing him the surveillance video on his phone, which clearly showed Marcus exiting his hotel room through a window and making his way along the back of the building before being assisted into another room.
"You were having an affair with her?" McKenzie asked, his tone carrying more curiosity than judgment.
"That explains why she hired my sister," Noah added, pieces of the puzzle finally clicking into place.
