Page 43 of In Cold Blood (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #1)

Noah held his tongue. He wanted to dig deeper but he was familiar with how these things worked.

It didn’t matter if it was an officer or a missing person.

All manner of oddballs came out of the woodwork, throwing their two cents in.

Armchair investigators were the first to spread the rumors, tossing out ideas with only media information to go on.

The trouble was everyone loved a mystery.

But speculating was the worst way to determine the truth.

“Well let’s get some ice cream.”

Ten minutes later they were back in Saranac. Neither one of them had ideas for what they wanted to do. Teens were so different from his day. Back when he was a kid there was only TV, no internet. The outdoors was the distraction and they ran it ragged from morning until night.

Noah parked in Lake Flower Boat Launch, near the huge body of water that was great for paddleboards and kayaks.

It was situated in the heart of the downtown, offering incredible views of mom-and-pop stores and the extensive mountain range.

Flower Lake was joined to Middle Saranac Lake, Lower Saranac Lake, and Oseetah Lake by a slew of waterways.

So much about the area looked beautiful and innocent on the surface but what tourists and locals saw as a playground for water enthusiasts, others saw as an opportunity to make a buck without getting caught.

It wasn’t like anyone was monitoring the lakes and rivers.

It was a perfect place to traffic drugs.

They got out so Axel could stretch his legs.

A blue heron soared overhead while a flock of seagulls descended on a trash can looking for a snack. Loons glided across the glistening lake.

With it still being early morning, there were only a few boats out on the water.

They strolled together into Prescott Park, a small grassy area that overlooked the lake. “Do you think he’d be okay off the leash?” Ethan asked.

“Not with the road nearby. Do you have a firm grip?” Noah asked Ethan.

He nodded.

“Here you go then,” he said.

Ethan grasped the leash and began to run with Axel.

“Take a load off,” Noah said to Mia. “Things okay with you?”

“What did mom tell you?”

“Nothing. So what’s new?”

“Just dealing with things.”

“Ah, it’s normal. The teenage years are tough. Every small bump in the road feels monumental. A bad mark on a test, unrequited love.”

“Dad, this isn’t the era of Shakespeare.”

He laughed, licking his ice cream. “You know what I mean. So… you got your eyes on anyone or should I say, has anyone got their eyes on you?”

“Like I would tell you. You’d probably run a background check.”

“You know me too well.” He nudged Mia and that got a smile out of her .

“And this Aiden. How’s that going?”

“Ah, he seems alright. Like a vanilla version of you. Out to save everyone.”

Noah nearly choked on his ice cream. “That good?”

“Average at best. Mom seems to like him though.”

“I didn’t know she was going to church.”

“A friend of hers invited her when we returned to the county. That’s where she met him.”

“And how is he?”

“He’s okay. I can see he’s itching to throw his two cents into every conversation.”

“Does he?”

“Not so far. Though I imagine that will change soon. Eventually, he wants mom to move in with him but she’s not sure she’s ready to do that.”

“Well, she’ll have to decide soon now that she has that engagement ring on her finger.”

Mia squinted as the sun bore down on them. “You jealous?”

“Me? Why would I be? I want nothing but good things for your mom and you two.”

She nodded. Ethan was getting Axel to sit, then stand, then sit, then stand.

“We’ll make a K-9 officer out of you yet,” Noah yelled. Ethan beamed.

“Dad. Do you think you’ll ever move back here?”

He looked at Mia and then stared out at the water. He certainly would appreciate the slower pace of life and seeing his kids more. “I don’t know, kiddo. For you two, in a heartbeat. But there’s more to it than that.”

“Can’t you transfer?”

“To this region. I guess.”

“It would be the same work.”

“Just a lot closer. ”

“To people, you don’t want to be around,” she added.

He noted the edge in her voice. “Hey. You know I love being around you and Ethan. You’re my world. There’s nothing I want more. It’s…”

“Grandfather?”

Noah sighed. “I spent the first eighteen years of my life here. You kind of want to spread your wings. You’ll understand when you’re that age.”

“I understand it now,” she said.

“Hey, your mom is doing the best she can. This is still as new to her as it is to me. Cut her a break, okay?”

“Easy for you to say.” She got up and tossed the remainder of her ice cream in the garbage.

It was easy for him to say. Mia was right.

He was the one looking in, the parent who only shared in the good stuff.

Moving back would bring with it many challenges but twenty years away had given him time to stand on his own two feet and become the man he wanted to be.

Maybe it was time he considered living nearer.

Hugh wasn’t getting any younger, and Noah had missed out on time with his nephew and niece. It would be good to have family around.

After a couple of hours down by the water, Noah took the two of them on a tour of his old stomping grounds.

Places he used to visit when he was a teen.

He recounted stories that only made sense in his era.

To them, it was nothing but dull white noise and the ramblings of a man reflecting on his youth.

As the Bronco rolled back through town to the parking lot, he spotted Jack Grayson outside Gauthiers Saranac Lake Inn. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

He wasn’t alone. He was talking to some butch-looking fella. At first, he thought it was a client but something was very odd about the exchange. Jack leaned toward the stranger, whispered something in his ear, and smiled as he stuck some dollars in his hand.

Noah veered in.

“Is that Uncle Jack?” Mia asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be right back.” Noah got out just as Jack patted the guy’s ass. The stranger ambled away.

Jack was all smiles as he jangled his keys and pressed the button on the key fob.

“You pat all your clients on the ass, Jack?” Noah asked.

His head swiveled 45 degrees, and the color drained from his skin. Like a kid found with his hand in the cookie jar, his cheeks soon went red.

“Noah. Um. Lena said you were back.”

He fumbled with his keys and dropped them.

“You look nervous, Jack. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, straightening up. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“So?” Noah raised an eyebrow, gesturing with his head toward the man who had now crossed the road. “How much does he cost?”

“I… um… this isn’t what it looks like. Okay? He’s a friend,” he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. “And I wasn’t paying for anything. It was to help him out.”

“A friend. Of Gloria’s?” He paused. “By the way, does Gloria know you’re here?

I mean I would love to chat with her. We haven’t caught up in ages.

You know what, maybe I should give her a call.

Yeah. That would be great. We could all go out for coffee.

” Noah pulled out his phone, pretending as if he had her number.

He didn’t. Those days were long gone. They’d moved into a new place.

Numbers for the Grayson family besides Lena’s went to a dead signal.

“She wouldn’t believe you anyway.”

“No?”

Axel started barking, his head sticking out of the window. Jack looked over and his cheeks went even redder. “Is that Mia and Ethan?”

“Yeah. Do you think Gloria would believe them?” He paused. “So, what was your friend’s name?”

Jack swallowed and got closer to him. “Look. Noah. This is embarrassing enough as it is. I don’t do this often. I’m just under a lot of stress and…”

“Hey, you’re a grown-ass man. None of my business. But there is something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about now that we’ve bumped into each other. How did you stumble across Erikson?”

“What?”

“Keith Erikson.”

“I was out. Hunting. I’ve already told them this.”

“Yeah, it’s surprising, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“You know — how they never arrested you or treated you like a suspect.” Noah tossed it out there knowing full well that finding a body wasn’t enough to justify arresting a man, never mind treating him like a suspect, but Noah said it to see what kind of reaction he would get.

“Based on what evidence? My friendship with Cyrus doesn’t mean I was involved in a crime.”

“Were you?”

“No,” he shot back.

Jack glanced off and then looked back at him. “So that’s it?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe that your buddy killed him and you thought you would go to bat and get him out of a sticky situation after my brother figured out what a lowlife he was.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Erikson. My brother. That asshole you hang around with. Cyrus Keller. ”

“Whatever beef you have with him, take it up with him,” he said, turning to get in his vehicle.

“Oh, I would except we can’t find him. But I did see him last night when he shot at me and a deputy before bolting and crashing his car.” Noah took hold of Jack’s arm. “Cut the crap.”

“I don’t know anything about that.”

“Then what do you know? Huh? I mean. From what I’ve heard, you and Cyrus are like this,” he said, holding up two fingers twisted together.

“We’ve hung out a few times. Had a beer. Gone hunting. Is that a crime?”

“Depends. You see, I started wondering. What is a clean-cut guy like you, with a reputation to protect, doing in a known area for drug deals?” Noah moved toward him, and Jack backed up, his body arching against the vehicle. Before he could do anything, Noah reached into Jack’s pockets.

“Get off!” He shouted.

Noah pulled out a small bag of white powder from the inner pocket.

“Well, well, what do we have here? That sure as hell looks like the same bag your buddy Cyrus had in his vehicle yesterday. Now I wonder?” Noah pried it open and took out a little and touched it on the tip of his tongue.

“It looks like coke, smells like coke.” He slapped his lips together.

“Well spank me and call me Nancy… that sure as hell tastes like coke.” Noah tossed it against Jack’s chest and the powder spilled out, emptying all over the ground.

The wind blew it, spreading it far. The look of horror on Jack was priceless.

“Don’t worry, Jack. I’m sure you get an endless supply for keeping your mouth closed and bailing out your buddy when he lands in hot water.”

“You’re a fucking lunatic. You know that!? My sister should have never married you. ”

“And you should have been kicked out by Gloria years ago, so I guess you and I are alike.”

“I’m nothing like you or your psycho brother.”

“Huh. Okay. Well let’s go there, shall we? What do you know about Luke? Huh? Where were you on that Friday?”

“You have no jurisdiction here.”

“Ah, see that’s where you’re wrong. Funnily enough, there’s been a shift change. I’m not too sure if you got the memo. But, hey, let me bring you up to speed. The BCI investigator who was handling Luke’s case ended up in the hospital. You know anything about that?”

“Screw you.”

Noah shoved him again. “Where were you on Friday?”

“I don’t have to answer to you.”

“No. No, you don’t, but you will to Gloria.”

Jack sneered.

Noah had him by the balls. He waited for an answer. Jack was slow to give one but eventually, he came clean.

“Where do you think?” Jack replied.

Noah glanced over his shoulder toward the motel door. It would be easy to confirm his alibi. “Huh. You have been a busy little bee. And Cyrus Keller?”

“What about him?”

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Um.” Noah rolled his lips in tightly. “You see, I think you do. I think you weren’t the only one that was out there when you found Erikson. I think Cyrus was too. That’s who you get your shit from, isn’t it? ISN’T IT!” he said, jabbing him against the car again.

“Dad?!” Mia called out. Noah glanced back, extending a hand .

“Everything’s all right, sweetheart. Just get back in the Bronco. I’ll be right there.”

He turned back to that cretin of a man.

“You’ve got this all wrong.”

“Bullshit. You’re a murderer or an accessory to murder. Either way, you’re eventually going down with Cyrus. In fact, I bet you have him on speed dial. Am I right?”

He fished into his pockets again, but Jack pushed him back.

Noah smiled. “You know what, forget it. Let me just call Gloria. She’ll know.” He pulled out his phone and pretended to act like he had her number.

“You’re feigning. You don’t have her number.”

“You’re right. I’ll get it from Lena. Hey, even better. I’ll have her meet us here to pick up the kids. One big family reunion. I’m sure she would just love to know why her little brother is in town. How’s that sound?”

Noah let the phone start dialing.

“All right. All right! Hang up!”

Noah turned off the phone, a smile forming.

“He… uh… stays at an apartment in town.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Jack looked off toward the Bronco and then answered. “Okay. He frequents a cabin north of High Peaks when he goes hunting. I’ve been there a few times. It belongs to his grandfather. It’s up around Bloomingdale on the north side of McKenzie Mountain Wilderness. North of Moose Pond.”

“The address?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Stop lying, Jack.”

Jack groaned. “Head up State Route 3 from here. Go past the quarry. Head into Bloomingdale, hang a right at the four-way across from the general store, then take the first right onto River Road which eventually will lead you to Moose Pond Lane. Follow it down. You’ll see a yellow A-frame. You can’t miss it.”

“That coke must be killing your brain cells, Jack.”

“Screw you.”

“You better not be lying.”

“I’m not.”

“Oh, and Jack.” Noah extended his hand and wiggled his fingers. “Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“Give me your phone.”

Jack swallowed; his teeth gritted as he reluctantly handed it over.

“I’m guessing you have your friend on speed dial, right?”

It was already unlocked. He brought up the contacts. “Which one is he?”

No response.

Noah lifted his eyes. Reluctantly, Jack pointed to a name. Noah took note of it and then handed back the phone.

“You know, Jack, at one time you weren’t an asshole. You were a good kid. That daddy of yours won’t bail you out forever. Then what will you do? Consider this your wake-up call. Get new friends. Clean yourself up. Gloria deserves better!”

He could hear Jack cursing as he walked away.

Noah got back into the Bronco. Ethan waved at his uncle as he drove out of the lot. “What was all that about?” Ethan asked.

“Ah, you know Uncle Jack, he was just excited to see me.”