Page 31 of The Catcher (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #5)

E ighty-five miles south, the Outlets of Lake George was buzzing with activity even on a lazy Sunday morning.

Their parents were taking the long weekend away as a safety measure to distract the teens from losing their friends.

It was working. Mischa Redka and Addison Sterling basked in the selection of brand-named stores.

It was a novelty — a real treat. High Peaks didn’t have a mall, at least not the traditional kind found in suburban areas.

Mischa lifted a top, trying to picture herself in it. The store was bathed in soft, natural light filtering through large windows, casting a warm glow over the clothing racks. The scent of new fabrics and fresh designs hung in the air while for sale signs lured in customers.

“I’m glad your mother was on board with you coming.”

“She couldn’t get me away from High Peaks fast enough,” Addison shot back.

“I couldn’t have handled my parents for three days. Ever since the cops found the bodies, they’ve been monitoring my every move. They won’t let me watch TV or the internet. I feel like I’m suffocating,” Mischa said.

“Same. My father tried to take my phone. I’m like, no way. Murder or not, you’d have to pry this out of my dead cold hands.”

Mischa laughed. “I wish I could get away with saying that. I only stood up to my folks once. Never again.”

“Ugh. Parents are so over the top,” Addison said as she held up a dress. The dress was a delicate shade of blue, adorned with intricate lace detailing that caught the light and sparkled subtly. “What do you think?”

“You’d look cute in that.”

“Cute enough for the dance? Tyler asked to take me.”

“Your parents are letting you go?”

“Oh yeah. How would they stop me? I’m about to graduate. A year from now, I will be living away from home. Then I can have as much sex as I want.”

Mischa laughed, nudging her, and then the laughter faded. She let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

“Me neither. Tyler thinks Nicholas had something to do with it.”

“Oh please, he might be weird, but he’s harmless.”

“Not according to Erin White. Her brother used to hang out with him. He said Nicholas killed a cat in his backyard. Buried it behind a tree.”

“Sick.”

“Right.” Addison nodded, her expression turning somber. “Anyway, that’s how it always begins.”

Mischa frowned, her mind grappling with the disturbing image painted by Addison’s words. “And you would know this because?”

“My mother watches true crime documentaries,” Addison explained, her tone matter-of-fact.

“Sickos get off on that kind of stuff when they are younger. Mark my words: if they don’t nab Nicholas for this, he’ll work at some convenience store until he’s forty-five and collect mannequins in his apartment.

Everything will be good until his neighbor smells something funny. ”

Mischa couldn’t suppress a shudder at the thought. “You’re a wacko,” she teased, nudging Addison playfully.

“Oh, yeah? Not as much as your parents. They’ve been eyeing us non-stop since we came in here.”

They glanced over and saw Mischa’s parents casting worried glances in their direction.

“We should ditch them,” Addison suggested mischievously.

“No way.”

“Come on. It will be a lark.”

“For you. Not me. I’ll wind up grounded for a week. No thank you,” Mischa replied, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t mean leave the mall. Just freak them out a little. Duck into another store and watch them get all stressed out.”

Mischa chuckled, entertained by the idea.

“You’re bad,” she said, unable to suppress her laughter.

“No. Besides, the more I toe the line now, the more freedom I’ll have when I return to High Peaks.

They’re big on trust. I already broke that going out to that party with you the other night. My brother squealed on me. ”

“What an asshole.”

“Girls? We should get moving if we want to see that movie.”

“Oh well, too late now,” Addison said with a shrug.

“Maybe not. The cinema is inside Regal Aviation Mall, which is way bigger than this mall. My parents are movie buffs. Once they get locked into a film, getting their attention is near impossible. We’ll duck out when the movie is on.

If they ask, we’re getting some extra popcorn.

We’ll browse to our heart’s content. We’ll be back before they even miss us. ”

“Oh, and I’m the bad one?” Addison teased, raising an eyebrow.

“You rub off on me,” Mischa said, chuckling as she hurried over to her parents.