Page 90 of Silent Bones

That should’ve been it. A commendation. A nod. Move on.

But she didn’t move on. She just looked at him, the silence folding in on itself. Then said, “You asked a lot of questions over at the DEC headquarters.”

“And?”

Rivera’s jaw tightened, just slightly. “Well, DEC’s made it known they are not happy.”

Noah raised a brow. “Because I did my job?”

“Because you did it too loudly.”

He sat across from her. The chair creaked. “You’re going to have to be clearer.”

Rivera sighed and rubbed her temple. “Look, Sutherland. You’ve stirred up interest in a case that was closed a year ago. Wallface already cost the state a settlement and a black eye. You start digging into the family of a high-ranking DEC officer, thenlink in with it an Airstream full of meth, a smuggling route, five dead kids in the woods, and people upstate start to ask what you’re building. And whether it’s going to hold.”

“I’m not building anything,” Noah said. “I’m uncovering it. Trying to get to the bottom of a messy situation with a lot of moving chess pieces.”

“That’s not how they see it.”

He stared at her, unblinking. “Who’s they, exactly?”

Rivera stood and crossed to the blinds, adjusting them as if needing something to do with her hands. Morning light cut across her shoulder. “Let me put it this way. I’ve had three phone calls since last night. Two were from Albany. One from someone I won’t name, because I can’t. But he made it clear. This case is bigger than what happened on that campsite.”

Noah’s voice dropped. “I know.”

“Do you?” She turned. “Because if you did, you might have handled things differently.”

“Meaning?”

Rivera walked back to her desk. “Meaning you should’ve brought it to me before hauling Hawkins in. Before poking the Calder file. Before someone felt the need to put a note on your windshield.”

He blinked. “How do you know about that?”

“Word spreads fast in this town. You told McKenzie, He told me.”

“You know, Rivera, how is it that you took this position after the last sheriff ended up in jail? I don’t recall you being with this department.”

“They needed someone with experience. I transferred in to hold down the fort.”

“Convenient.”

“You have something to say, say it.”

He shook his head.

There was a pause, tight, sharp-edged.

She continued, quieter, “Look, I brought you in over another from State because I trusted your judgment. Because I thought you had a read on this place. But if you’re going to pursue things that put our whole department under fire, I need to be honest with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“You need to shift your focus.”

Noah felt his chest tighten.

“To what?” he asked, even though he knew.

“Use the animal angle. Blame some crazy. Use Banning’s podcast if you have to. Tie this up as a myth chasing a myth. The public is getting antsy and so are others.”