Page 46 of Silent Bones

Theresa gave a small, sardonic smile.

Noah nodded. “Yes. That’s the case. We’re looking into all potential connections, including your incident with the group last summer.”

“I figured,” she said, pulling out a chair and sitting across from them. “They were banned from my campground, so I guess that makes me suspicious.”

“You understand why it’s relevant,” Noah said.

“Of course. But everything we do here is aboveboard. I run a family place. Quiet. Safe. That group wasn’t either.”

McKenzie leaned forward. “What exactly happened?”

“They were rowdy. Drinking, definitely. But it was more than that, there were hard drugs being used. Molly, weed, possibly something stronger. I gave them a warning. When guests complained—families with young kids—I had no choice. I kicked them out. Stephen included.”

“That was before you sent that video of him and Avery Calder?” Noah asked.

Theresa’s expression didn’t change, but a faint pallor crept across her face. She didn’t answer so he continued. “We were told you had a personal relationship with Stephen,” Noah said. “Is that accurate?”

She exhaled. “We were friends.”

“Friends with benefits?” McKenzie asked casually. “I hear that’s all the rage on that Grindr app.”

Theresa’s eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t use apps.”

“Oh, it’s not a dating app,” McKenzie added. “More of a hookup app for gay men.”

Noah shot him a warning look, then jumped in. “We’re not here to judge anyone’s orientation or identity. But we do have transcripts. Texts. Messages that show a level of intimacy between you and Stephen.”

“He was eighteen,” she said coolly. “An adult.”

“A teen, nonetheless,” McKenzie said. “And you’re what… late forties?”

“I see where this is going.” Her tone sharpened, but her hands stayed folded. “But you’ll find there’s no misconduct here. I didn’t do anything that endangered Stephen or myself. I certainly didn’t coerce him or exploit him. Yes, he was confused. A lot of young people are. I know, I was one of them once.”

McKenzie raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying he came to you for… guidance?”

“We met here,” she said, chin lifting. “He had questions. I answered them. He was struggling, ashamed, unsure, terrified his family would find out. We talked. Walked the trails. That’s it.”

Noah scrolled on his phone, then quoted one of the exchanges. “‘Keep this between us. No one would understand. Not even Avery.’ That wasn’t just guidance, Theresa.”

Her jaw tightened. “Stephen didn’t want Avery to know about me because he was afraid of hurting her.”

“Hurting her,” Noah repeated.

“She had feelings for him. He wasn’t sure how he felt, about her, about himself. I was someone who understood. That’s all.”

“So you kept the drug use out of your report to protect him,” Noah said. “That sounds like more than just camp counselor kindness.”

“I didn’t want to tank his future over a stupid mistake,” she said flatly. “He begged me not to tell. Said he’d lose his job and he didn’t want to cause problems for his friends.”

“Did he say where the drugs came from?” Noah asked.

“No. He just said they brought them.”

“Where were you Labor Day weekend?” McKenzie asked.

“Here,” she said immediately. “I live on-site. It’s our busiest weekend of the season.”

“Can anyone confirm that?”