Page 22 of The Smart Killer (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #4)

S ecrets had been a part of the Sutherland family for as long as he could remember; still, it didn’t mean he liked keeping them.

As he collected Mia from Gretchen’s that evening, she’d asked if he’d heard from Ethan or Noah as Noah wasn’t picking up, and Hugh hadn’t talked to either of them.

Ray, in his usual manner, gave an off-the-cuff remark on his way back to the cruiser about Noah telling him that he was taking Ethan out for a meal and a man-to-man talk that was long overdue.

He felt like crap for lying to her, but a promise was a promise.

Thankfully, Gretchen had simply gone with it.

After Mia climbed into the passenger seat, her excitement was palpable.

“You ready?” he asked.

“I’ve been waiting for this for several years,” she replied, fastening her seatbelt with purpose.

Ray offered a warm smile to the mix of pride and anticipation in her eyes. The cruiser growled, and the tires crunched over gravel as he pulled away, taking them back into the hum of the town. It starkly contrasted with the dark expanse of the Adirondack Forest that loomed in the background.

“I’ve always wanted to see what you do, Uncle Ray. Dad never took me out; he said it was too dangerous.”

Ray chuckled softly, nodding in understanding. “Your dad is right, but that’s dads for you; they’re always going to be more protective. But how do you learn?”

“Exactly.”

“Though, to be fair, he probably just wants something better for you.”

Mia frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion. “But he’s a cop, so are you and everyone in our family.”

Ray’s gaze softened, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. “We’ve always had our differences. Your grandfather had a way of pressuring us into following in his footsteps. Maybe your dad doesn’t want that for you.”

“But that’s my choice.”

“That it is,” he said, glancing over at her. “Though I am curious. Why now? I know you are only a year from graduating high school, but the last time we chatted, becoming a cop wasn’t even on your radar.”

“I guess that whole experience with being grabbed made me rethink things.” She went quiet, and he knew Mia was talking about the time she was kidnapped.

“When I was down in that basement, I saw the names of women that had gone missing. I felt helpless. I just feel I have been so consumed by my own little world and not what he does.”

“You mean, what your dad does for a living?”

“Yeah. I mean, he is faced with this every day. I just got accustomed to seeing him leave in the morning and always having this dark look in his eyes when he came home, like…”

“He’d seen the worst of society?”

“Yes.”

Ray smiled. “See, that’s what they leave out of the job, Mia.

It’s made to look glamorous from cop shows, but it’s nothing like that.

It’s hours of boredom and seconds of sheer terror.

You rarely see the good. Those who join do it to make a difference.

They believe that they will be the one to bring about change.

But the fact is, once you don that uniform.

People out there, they don’t see you. All they see is that uniform.

And often. Well, that can bring out the worst in people.

” He turned down a well-lit street. “And that doesn’t even cover what you will see.

Abuse, drug addiction, death. Are you ready for that? ”

“I’m not sure. I guess that’s why I’m here.”

Ray patted her arm. “You’ll soon know if you’re cut from the same cloth.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Mia spoke again, her curiosity piqued. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

Ray’s lips curved into a knowing smile as they drove through the town, passing by storefronts with glowing signs and glimpses of the dense woods beyond. “Well,” he began, his voice low and conspiratorial, “we’ve been getting reports of a drug distribution ring operating out of Big G’s.”

Mia’s eyes widened with intrigue. “Inside the bowling alley? How does that even happen?”

Ray nodded; his gaze focused on the road ahead.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out. The challenge is, if we charge in there, not only might we not get answers, but we might blow the whole operation.

Which brings me to your part in this, Mia.

We need a teen who can go in, ask questions, and see what can be found without raising suspicion. ”

Mia’s skepticism was evident in her expression. “You want me to go undercover inside a potentially dangerous situation?” She laughed. “Dad would kill me if he found out. There is no way he would let me do that. You can’t be serious?”

Ray glanced at her with a deadpan expression.

“You are serious.”

“Your dad doesn’t have to know, Mia. Think of it as your baptism by fire, a chance to learn the family trade firsthand.

No academy will teach you this. You either have it or you don’t.

Besides, I believe in you. You’re like your father: smart, observant, and resourceful.

And remember, I’m not sending you in alone.

I’ll be right there watching out for you.

The first sign of problems, I’ll be there. ”

“Will I be wired?”

“Ah, not exactly.”

A mix of excitement and nervousness flickered in Mia’s eyes as she considered the challenge.

Ray knew Mia wouldn’t be the only one killed by Noah if he found out about this, especially after Ethan, but he was confident.

It wasn’t like she was going into a crack house.

“Again, you only have to do it if you want to. I’m not going to pressure you.

I mean, look at it like this. You’re just waltzing into the bowling alley like all the other teens. It won’t look out of place.”

“But they’ll see me get out of the cruiser.”

“No, they won’t. I’ll park a few blocks down from the bowling alley.”

She sat there for a moment, contemplating it. “Okay. All right,” she said, her voice determined. “I’ll do it.”

Ray pulled the cruiser to a stop a few blocks away from Big G’s; the neon lights of the bowling alley cast a vibrant glow that cut into the night.

He handed her a twenty-dollar bill. “Go in, buy yourself some food and drink, play a couple of the arcade games, eavesdrop; you’re not there to ask questions.

If anyone approaches you and asks if you’re interested in buying, ask them what they have. ”

“And if they want to show me?”

“Just say that you used up what money you had, but you can return with some more. Just play it cool.”

Mia got out of the cruiser.

“Mia. Remember. You are just there to have fun. An hour, tops, then come on out with or without information.”

She nodded, closed the door, crossed the road, and went down to the bowling alley.

As Mia walked away from the cruiser, her heart raced with anticipation.

The night held the promise of secrets to uncover and dangers to face, a daunting yet exhilarating prospect.

That was what she admired about her uncle.

Unlike her father, Ray didn’t treat her like a child.

Sure, she was seventeen, but in some countries, most her age were working full-time jobs, even living independently.

With an inhale, she squared her shoulders, ready to step into the unknown, determined to prove herself.