Page 30 of In Cold Blood

Alicia turned away from the crazy wall, about to head down.

“Leave it? That’s it? Someone shot him in cold blood, Alicia.”

She whirled around, tapping the bottle of beer against her blue jeans. “Yeah, and what do you think they will do to you if you go nosing around? Huh? I don’t want to see them bury another Sutherland.” With that said, she made her way out, leaving him frustrated. He had to wonder how much of what she’d told him was true.

“C’mon. He must have told you something,” he bellowed.

“Let it go, Noah,” she replied from down below. But that was the problem. He couldn’t. That was the one thing he had in common with Luke. Once they locked onto a target, they were like a dog with a bone. Nothing could sway them.

He looked at the wall for a third time, at that photo of Lena. It would take time to wade through it all and make sense of it. When he went back down, Alicia was standing on the back porch, looking out across the lake. “Why do I get a sense you aren’t telling me everything?” he asked.

Alicia swigged her beer and narrowed her eyes as she breathed in the night air. Fireflies lit up the grass and bushes. “You remember Keith Erikson?”

“Vaguely. Michelle’s brother?”

She nodded, swallowing beer. “He worked as a game warden. Ten months ago, he went missing. They never found him. His truck was found not far from here. Rumor has it that heuncovered or stumbled across the same thing your brother was looking into. Whatever Luke had his nose in, it goes deep. So that’s why I’m telling you to leave it. Not because Idon’tthink you could get to the bottom of it but because I know you would. I think you are stupid enough to keep asking questions until you get answers. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“That sounds vaguely like you care.”

“Don’t be an ass.” She turned and went back inside and set the bottle on the table. “However, I know you won’t listen to me, so I’ll tell you this but you never heard it from me. If anyone in this town knows what happened to your brother, it’s Dax Jameson. I’ll give you his number.”

“Dax. My old friend?”

“Yeah. I saw him with your brother multiple times.”

“He’s still here?”

She collected another beer. As if one wasn’t enough. “Yeah. A jack of all trades. He has his fingers in a little of everything. When he’s not working in the fishing business, he’s usually at High Peaks Pub and Brewery. And when he’s not doing that… well, your brother said he helped him out a few times.”

“And why would he do that?”

“Why do you think?”

He paused for a second, connecting the dots. He hadn’t seen Dax at the funeral.

“He was an informant?”

She tilted her bottle at him and gave a nod as she sank into the seat. “How else do you think your brother managed to get tipped off to all those drug busts? To nab that kind of fish you need the right bait and someone who has their ears to the ground and a vested interest. Seems your old pal has quite the criminal track record.”

“Hold on… we’re talking about the same guy here? Dax Jameson?”

“Is there anyone else you know in town by that name?”

“But he was a clean-cut kid.”

“Was. You’ve been gone a long time, Noah.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “Nah, he had aspirations to join the military.”

She swallowed a mouthful of beer and nodded. “And he did until he got a dishonorable discharge then he came right back here and made High Peaks his home. He also did some time in jail. Most businesses aren’t going to hire you with that kind of reputation.”

“So you think he knows about my brother?”

“Do you mind if I smoke?” she asked.

“You smoke?”

“Cigars mostly.”