Page 3 of Her Final Hours (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #3)

Several hiking trails fissured through the forest near the pond’s edge.

The trees around him were tall and majestic, the underbrush covered by a thin layer of snow.

March was an odd month. It was often when mother nature would deliver some freak weather.

He liked to think of it as the last push of winter.

As he got closer, Noah could see the glow of a fire pit illuminating the faces of teens and casting flickering shadows across the surrounding trees. The music boomed from a portable speaker. The beat thumped, and he noted teens dancing provocatively to the rhythm.

A waft of burning wood mixed with the odor of alcohol hit him as he passed several teens completely engrossed in their world, oblivious to his presence.

Many looked to be eighteen or nineteen. He felt a surge of anger and concern rise.

He took a deep breath to steady himself just as his boot kicked a bottle, and Noah looked down to see several empty bottles scattered.

He asked one of the teens. “Have you seen Mia?”

“Who?” the teen replied, a hint of sarcasm coming from his alcohol-fueled brain.

“My daughter,” he replied, his voice tense. “She’s supposed to be here.”

“I don’t know, man.” The guy shrugged, his eyes red from smoking too much pot. Noah heard him ask as he walked away why an old dude was at the party.

Noah pressed into the knot of teens.

That’s when he spotted Mia on the far side.

She had an arm draped around some guy sitting on a log. He was holding a beer bottle.

As Noah elbowed and turned sideways through the crowd, Mia locked eyes with him. In an instant, she dropped her drink and muttered something in the ear of the guy, who looked Noah’s way before she peeled herself away.

Within feet, he could smell the alcohol on her. Although eighteen was the drinking age in some countries, not in New York.

He thumbed over his shoulder, not hiding his disappointment. “Let’s go.”

She glanced at her phone. “I’m sorry, Dad. I should have….”

“We’ll discuss this on the way back.”

“Hey, hold up, you’re Mia’s pops,” the guy said, making his way over. “I’m Teddy.” Noah turned back to him as he extended a free hand. The other held his beer.

“Ah, I’m guessing you’re the guy.”

“The guy?”

“How old are you, Teddy?”

“Eighteen. Why? ”

Noah took out his badge.

His jaw dropped. His gaze bounced to Mia. It was clear she hadn’t told him.

“And that matters because?”

“If I have to explain it to you, we’ll do it at the department.

” Noah summoned a smile before brushing past him and crossing to where the music was playing.

He switched it off, and silence fell over the group.

“Party is over. Go home!” He took out his badge and lifted it.

Multiple teens dropped their drinks and took off into the forest like it was some raid.

Others remained, grumbling, a few throwing out curse words. Noah made his way back to Teddy.

“I’m going to cut you a break. But next time, Teddy. It won’t just be me rolling up here. If I catch you around my daughter again, you and I will have more than words.”

He heard Mia say something, but he didn’t catch it. He turned and took hold of her arm to lead her out. “Dad. Get off me. You’re embarrassing me.”

“You’ve already embarrassed yourself. Now let’s go.”

They marched through the forest back to the vehicle without another word spoken. He was fuming. He could understand now why Lena was struggling to deal with Mia. As Mia climbed in, she cursed.

“Why did you lie to me?” he asked as he fired up the engine, and it growled to life.

“You lied first,” she shot back.

“What are you talking about?”

“You said that things were going to be the same.”

“And they are.”

“You pulled me out of school and put me in High Peaks. I don’t want to be there. My friends are here.”

“I did it to make life easier.”

“For you. Not for me. ”

He clenched his jaw as he reversed out, trying to heed the words of Gretchen and remain calm. The drive back to town was quiet. Mia glared at her phone, texting her friends, no doubt telling them how unfair life was and how she’d see them soon. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

As they swung into the driveway, Mia went to get out, but he locked the door.

He put out his hand. “Phone.”

“What?”

“Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“Mia.”

Reluctantly she handed it over. “You’ll get it back in a week.”

“No. No. You can’t do that.”

“And you’re grounded for two weeks.”

“This is bullshit. If Mom were here, she wouldn’t do this.”

“Make that three. You’re fortunate that she’s not here because I think she would do much more.”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah, at least that’s an improvement over the cold shoulder you’ve been giving me.

Look, Mia,” his tone softened ever so slightly.

“I know you miss her. If I could change things, I would, but I can’t.

And maybe your mom did things differently.

But I’m all you’ve got now. And until you are eighteen and of age, you will follow the rules of the house. ”

“Rules? Mom never set any rules.”

“Oh, I think she would beg to differ. I’m not asking for much. Okay? Show up at school. Don’t punch people. Don’t drink until you are of legal age. And when I ask you where you are. Don’t lie to me.”

“Like you’ve never lied.”

“And don’t turn this back on me.”

She fumbled with the lock handle, and he released the lock.

“ I hate you,” she said with tears in her eyes as she got out and ran into the house.

The door was already open. Gretchen was there.

Mia ran past her without even a hello. Noah stared at Gretchen, and he shook his head.

He was about to leave his vehicle and head inside when his phone rang.

It was his superior and close friend, Savannah Legacy.

“Noah. I need you in Elizabethtown at the hospital as soon as possible.”