Page 84 of The Deadly Shallows

Brooke glanced over at him again. “Do I want to ask?”

Noah exhaled. “Macken’s dead.”

After leaving Brooke at the station with Em and Logan, Noah headed for the crime scene. He wished he could keep her at his side. He hated having her out of his sight, given the horror of the last few days, but it made more sense for her to stay with them. Emmy and Logan would do everything in their power to keep her safe.

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he drew closer to the address Logan had provided.

Macken’s death hit hard. Not just because he had liked the officer, but it was yet another confirmation that the men behind all that had happened wouldn’t stop. They were relentless. The only way this ended was if Noah and his team caught them. And that’s what they had to do.

The investigation webbed out in a cascade of threads—one more added with Macken’s death. The key remained finding the center point—the heart of the case, where all the threads converged and, more importantly, led to the person pulling the strings.

Noah turned into the three-story brick apartment building’s lot on the east side of town. A Wilmington police car, with lights spinning red circles, was parked at an angle in front of the building’s main glass door. Mason stood talking to Officers Hardy and Jent, but he turned to Noah as he stepped out of the car.

With a nod of thanks to Hardy and Jent, Noah met Mason at the apartment building door, and they stepped inside.

“I know it’s not the safest way,” Mason began, “but with your leg and the crutch, we’d better take the elevator,” he said.

Noah nodded. It wasn’t safe being boxed in when the stairs provided multiple escape options, but he wasn’t up to taking stairs.

Stepping into the empty elevator, Mason pressed 3. The elevator pinged its way up. Noah kept a grip on his gun as the elevator doors slid open. Rissi and a lady somewhere in her seventies, he’d guess, awaited them.

He hopped out, finally hitting the rhythm of moving with the crutch. It hadn’t been his first time using a crutch, and he doubted it’d be his last.

He glanced at the crime-scene tape across the blue door to his left.

“Let’s make sure we express our thanks to Hardy and Jent for sealing up Macken’s apartment. Finn will be here soon.” If there was anything to lead them to the killer, he’d find it. They were pulling him from the RAD lab yet again, though Emmy told Noah earlier in the day that Finn was nearly finished there, and that yet again the trace evidence found brought back no hits. Who were these guys?

Noah turned his attention to the elderly woman. “Special Agent Noah Rowley,” he said.

“This is Mrs. Nelson,” Rissi introduced the woman.

“Edith to you.” She smiled at Noah and shook his hand, her skin soft, her fingers delicate.

“Edith.” He nodded.

“Edith has been so helpful,” Rissi said.

The woman’s slender fingers fidgeted with the large purple gem on her necklace. She wore green-and-lavender floral pants and a purple blouse.

“Would you like to tell Agent Rowley what happened, or do you prefer I explain what you’ve so graciously shared with me?” Rissi asked.

“Please, go ahead, dear,” Edith said. “I’d rather not go through it again.”

Rissi nodded. “I completely understand.”

Edith turned toward her door. “I think I’ll make a cup of tea and try to settle my racing heart. If you need anything, just knock.”

“Are you okay?” Noah asked, before she closed her door. “Should we call a paramedic to come and check your vitals . . . your heart?”

“Oh no, dear. Thank you for asking, but I’m as healthy as a horse, as they say. Just ruffled.”

“Okay, if you need anything, please let us know,” Noah said.

“Thank you.” Edith shut the blue door behind her.

Once Edith was out of earshot, he turned to Rissi. “Run it for me.”

“First . . .” Rissi checked the pink pearl face of her silver watch. “Finn’s approximately two minutes out.”