Page 95 of In Cold Blood

“I heard it was a gang hit.”

“From who?”

“Rumors.”

He stopped the vehicle beside a few other trucks and cars. Several parents had the same idea. Spending time with his kids was what he most missed. “These rumors? Where did you hear them?”

“School. Kids I know.”

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 whattourists 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.”