Page 17 of Silent Bones

Mr. Strudwell added to that. “There was a falling out last month. With Jesse.”

Mrs. Strudwell turned toward him, sharply. “That wasn’t a falling out. That was teenage drama.”

“Still,” Noah said. “It helps to understand the dynamic.”

He pulled out a small notepad and glanced over his notes. “There were four others on the trip besides Stephen. Brandon Kent, Rachel Ames, Jesse Linwood, Harper Lane. I was wondering if…”

Mrs. Strudwell looked up. “Four? What about Avery? Avery Calder.”

Noah raised his brow. “Hold on. Was Avery meant to be on the trip?”

“Stephen said she was supposed to be,” Mr. Strudwell answered. “But maybe she backed out at the last minute. Probably because of her dad. He’s with DEC.”

McKenzie made a note in his phone.

“That is odd, she would’ve been with them,” Mrs. Strudwell whispered. “She wouldn’t have missed it. She and Stephen were close.”

“Childhood friends,” Mr. Strudwell added. “We have pictures. From when they were all younger. They were a tight-knit group even back then.”

“Could we see one?” Noah asked.

Mrs. Strudwell rose numbly and crossed to a credenza near the television. She returned with a framed group photo, six teens, arms slung over each other’s shoulders, standing on a lakeside dock. Sunlight, smiles, the kind of moment you frame because you never imagine it could curdle into a tragedy.

Noah studied the faces. Brandon and Rachel. Harper, eyes squinted against the sun. Jesse had his arms folded like he hated posing. Stephen was at the rear, near the center, looking half unsure, half hopeful.

And standing at the edge of the frame, mostly out of focus, was an older man. Beard, long sleeves, a weathered hat casting shadow over his eyes.

“Who’s that?” Noah asked, tapping the corner of the photo.

Mrs. Strudwell squinted. “That… oh. He was just some park ranger who helped them get the fire going, as the wood was damp. This was taken last year, I think. Or maybe the one before.”

“Do you remember his name?”

She shook her head. “No.”

The muted news broadcast flickered in the background: overhead footage of the lake, a chyron scrolling beneath it:Four Dead, One Missing in Adirondack Campground Tragedy.

McKenzie cleared his throat softly, then angled his voice with practiced calm. “We understand this is difficult. But to help us piece together what happened… could you tell us a little about the group dynamic? Were there any tensions lately? Any falling out?”

Mrs. Strudwell stayed quiet, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Mr. Strudwell leaned forward slightly in his chair. “They’d been close since ninth grade. But lately… there were cracks.”

He could almost feel the fractures radiating off the group photo, something strained beneath the surface smiles.

He paused, searching for the right words. “They weren’t as tight as they used to be. Jesse and Stephen had a disagreement maybe a month ago. Some drama over a girl. Avery was always the glue, she tried to keep the peace.”

“Did it work?” Noah asked.

“For a while. I guess. I mean they planned the trip anyway, right? And nobody backed out except Avery.” He frowned.

Noah exchanged a quick glance with McKenzie, then leaned forward. “What can you tell us about the sixth member of the group?”

Mrs. Strudwell looked up at that, eyes tired but focused. “Avery? Avery Calder. Where do I begin? She was especially close with Rachel and Harper. We assumed things were fine.”

“But they weren’t?” McKenzie prompted.

Mr. Strudwell shook his head. “She and Rachel had a falling out a few weeks back. Typical teenage stuff, I guess. Stephen never told us what it was about. Though he said that Rachel and Avery didn’t want to talk about it much.”

Mrs. Strudwell added, “It was strange, though. Avery was usually inseparable from those girls.”