They drove down a lane divided by two rows of storage units, each about the size of a small garage, each with its own door. Barzi stopped at Number 66.

“This is it.”

Barzi pressed the unit’s password on the keypad, then inserted the key into the steel lock. Metal rumbled as he raised the steel roll-up door to a unit that Wyatt guessed to be about 10 feet by 12 feet. A wave of stale air tumbled over them as Barzi, with Wyatt’s help, pulled away the thick paint-stained cloth tarp covering all the items.

Wyatt scanned a bed, a dresser, a full-length mirror, a desk, chair, a small kitchen table with stacked chairs. There were night tables, a coffee table, and framed prints of New York City scenes. He saw a kettle, a toaster, a blender, and plastic tubs stuffed with kitchen items. There were boxes of books, among other things. A trace of moth-ball scented air floated around boxes of clothes.

As Wyatt studied the items, he noticed everything was smudged or feathered with silver-gray fingerprint powder.

“They seized all of this, too, and went through it,” Barzi said.

Wyatt nodded. He understood police procedure. The fact they’d released the pickup and Moore’s belongings meant they didn’t deem it crucial evidence. They’d covered themselves by processing everything, but it indicated that they didn’t think it relevant to the case, which deepened the mystery.

Casually, he began checking items as he interviewed Barzi.

“Yeah, they interrogated me, got in my face. Saying they believed I had something to do with it.”

“Did you?”

“God!” He exhaled, looked at the ceiling, blinking fast. “No.” Barzi rubbed the back of his neck. “I know Sam never really liked me, but she accepted me. Tolerated me is more like it, because Kevin and I are lifelong pals, you know?”

“Sure.”

“She didn’t care for my eccentricities. That’s what she called them. She said I was being foolish and childish.”

“What are your eccentricities, Leo? For the record.”

“I like mysteries, conspiracies, supernatural stuff, myths, legends, folklore, that kind of stuff.”

“I get it.”

“But that didn’t stop me from helping Sam by loaning my truck real cheap. I mean, I like her. She’s had a hard life, and she’s strong and smart. I like her, and really, we get along, but I know what she thinks of me.”

“Okay.”

“Part of Vermont, like many parts of the country, has a history of unsolved, mysterious happenings. So, when Kevin told me they were headed that way to go to Montreal before Toronto, I wanted him to take the back road by Lucifer’s Notch.”

“Why?”

“It’s got a history, and I wanted the video footage. I blog, and I thought it would be great to have it. That’s why I offered to let them have my truck for free if they got it.”