Page 30 of Silent Bones

“Not unless you want to talk about you and Natalie.”

“I’d prefer not.

“Same.”

He nodded, reaching for his holster. “Fair.”

Outside, birds chirped from the trees, and the wind tousled the lake just enough to stir the surface. Callie paused on the porch as Noah locked up behind them.

“You ever think,” she said, “about how weird it is that we’re doing this again? Working a case like this? Back in these woods?”

He glanced at her, a quiet shadow behind his eyes. “Every day. You driving?”

She nodded.

Callie tookthe corners like she was late for a felony.

Noah sipped from his travel mug and watched the Adirondack peaks flicker between gaps in the treeline as they headed toward Ray Brook. The cruiser smelled like pine-scented wipes and the faint remnants of drive-through coffee. He rested his arm on the door, eyes narrowing at the building coming into view.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sat low and solid off Route 86. It had brown brick,a flat roof, and a large bronze seal mounted beside the front entrance. Across from it stood the regional State Police building, where Noah had spent more years than he cared to count. It felt strange seeing it from this angle. Like looking at your house through your neighbor’s fence.

“You’re quiet,” Callie said.

“Just remembering the last time I had to go through that door,” he muttered, nodding toward the DEC sign. “A hiker went missing near Ampersand. Took us four days and a cadaver dog to find him.”

“Cheery thought.”

They parked, climbed out, and walked inside. The building was clean and cool, a mix of gray tile and bleached wood. Framed photos of search-and-rescue teams and endangered wildlife lined the walls. A young woman at the front desk gave a tight nod and pointed them toward the back office.

A sharp knock at the door was all it took.

“Come in.”

William Calder stood when they entered.

The DEC commander was in his early fifties but carried himself like a man ten years younger, square shoulders, clean-shaven, a jaw built for saying no. He wore a pressed forest-green uniform with a silver badge, and when he smiled at Noah, it was the kind of smile that only reached the surface.

“Sutherland,” Bill said, extending a hand.

Noah shook it. “Appreciate you making time.”

“Of course. How’s Hugh doing?”

“He’s well.”

“I heard he was in the hospital…”

“He’s getting up there,” Noah replied.

“Aren’t we all. Makes you think more about life and loved ones.”

Callie introduced herself, and they all took seats in the office. It was sparse and orderly, with maps pinned to a corkboard and a bookshelf filled with wilderness manuals and training binders. A window looked out toward a shaded walking trail.

“So,” Bill said, clasping his hands. “What can I help you with?”

“It’s not so much you as it is Avery,” Noah said. “Your daughter’s name came up during a recent interview. She was close with the victims. Appears in several photos with them. But she wasn’t at the lake that night. We’re just trying to fill in blanks.”

“Right.” Bill nodded slowly. He glanced away as if thinking of what to say. “My thoughts and prayers are with the families. A terrible loss.”