Page 24 of In Cold Blood
“Your place is back there or on the passenger side.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Choose.” Axel ignored him, looking out the window. “Axel. We are not doing this. I’m tired. Let’s go.” The dog whined and then started panting with what looked strangely like a grin.
Noah’s eyebrow rose. “Oh, I see. So, all that obeying me back inside was just a game. All theatrics to get me to take you. Right?”
Axel continued to pant, looking out the window.
Noah narrowed his eyes. He took out the list of commands.His eyes scanned, looking for a specific command. Nope. Nothing for “stop being stubborn.” Noah grumbled.
Right then, Kerri peered out a window.
Noah waved and feigned a smile to let her know that he had a handle on this. Of course, he didn’t. However, as Axel knew she might come out, he slipped over to the passenger side. “Thank you,” Noah said. He grumbled and tossed the paper down and fired up the engine, not amused. “Okay, I’ll let this one slide for now, but if you think this is how it’s going to go, you are sorely mistaken. You and I are stuck together for the next week, so trust me when I say there are going to be some ground rules, you hear me?”
Axel turned a few times on the seat, and before Noah could stop him, Axel lifted his paw and slapped it against the leather.
“No. Don’t….” he released the breath, “do that.”
Too late. A large claw mark appeared.
“This is a rental.” He groaned as the dog settled.
Noah stuck the gear stick in reverse. “Why am I even talking to you? You’re just a dog. But I bet if I had a gram of coke, you would be all game. Huh?”
He veered out of the driveway. The blackness of night pushed back beyond the set of bright headlights as he flicked them on. Although familiar with the area, he tapped the address Alicia had given him into the GPS. It was a good six miles away, roughly thirteen minutes drive to the northeast side of High Peaks Lake.
Noah drove out of town on Route 86, a road that wound its way north then hung a left on Connery Pond Road, an unpaved dirt path that cut through the remote Adirondack Park Preserve. It was one of many old, dusty logging roads that crisscrossed throughout the forest preserve like fault lines. As they bounced over potholes and uneven ground, he was glad he’d picked thetruck instead of the tiny sedan the rental guy had tried to convince him to take.
It didn’t take long.
It was another half a mile. The dirt path eventually split, offering travelers a place to park just short of the water. In the distance, he could see the silhouette of the Sentinel Range to the east and Whiteface Mountain to the north.
“Luke. Why here?” he said under his breath as he went deeper. Eventually, a bend in the road brought him around to one of two properties that bordered the lake. They were nestled among the tall, dense trees. At night it was hard to see much of anything due to zero lampposts. The whole property was shrouded in darkness before the headlights lit up a beautifully constructed lakeside cabin. Noah sat there in the idling truck, allowing the engine to tick over as he looked at it.Why didn’t you tell me about this place?
Despite his long absence from High Peaks, Noah often chatted with his brothers and sister. It wasn’t like he’d cut off all communication, although his father liked to think he had. Heck, he’d even attempted to reach out to his father multiple times but his calls always went to voicemail. Had Hugh picked up, perhaps things between them would have been different.
But no, stay away truly meant stay away.
Noah soaked in the sight of the cabin’s rough-hewn logs. They were warm, and brown, and blended seamlessly into the surrounding forest. A stone chimney added a homey touch to the idyllic property. The wraparound porch stretched out invitingly, beckoning him to come closer and take a look through windows adorned with white curtains. With the window on his truck cracked open a little, he could hear the forest, the chirping, and the rustle of leaves. It was peaceful and serene, everything a person would have wanted for retreating from the hustle of life.
A purchase like this would have been something Luke was proud of, something he would have wanted to share with his brother. Noah glanced at Axel who looked eager to get out. “All right, I’ll let you out but you are wearing a leash. I’m not having you darting off after rabbits.”
As they made their way to the darkened abode, motion lights flicked on. A long pool lit up to the left of the home. “Not bad.”
Noah couldn’t help but feel a sense of tranquility wash over him. It felt like he’d stepped into a different world.
As he inserted the key in the lock, there was a loud clang off to his right, followed by cursing. Through a curtain of pine trees, Noah could see light emanating out of a home nearby, and movement on the back porch. At least he had one neighbor. He hadn’t seen homes along that dirt road. If they existed at all. The vastness of the land combined with dense forest made it difficult to see homes at night.
Most lakeshore properties were only used in the summer, at least that he could recall.
After letting himself inside, Noah flicked on a light to reveal an open floor plan with a kitchen, breakfast bar, and a living room with cathedral ceilings. There was a gorgeous stone fireplace at the center of the room with a flat-screen TV above it. Black leather seating. Paintings of the lake on the walls. The second level of the cabin had three bedrooms and a full bathroom. Adirondack wood beams set back against a stone wall added a nice, earthy touch to the place. Leaning up against the wall were campaign yard signs with Luke’s mugshot and a slogan: Vote for your next Sheriff.
He gave a strained smile.
“You outdid yourself, this time, brother.” Noah released Axel and he took off into the back like he was familiar with the place. He returned a moment later, ears perked up and a rope in his mouth, and bounded around the room like an out-of-controlasylum patient. “That’s right, do the zoomies. Wear yourself out.”
After collecting his bags and bringing in dog food from the truck, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge to find it fully stocked. A six-pack of Buds. Milk. Eggs. Butter. Bacon. Frozen goods in a small freezer above. He took some of it out and sniffed it. Fresh. He closed it and stared out the French doors.
He took out his phone and glanced at Axel who was gnawing on another chew toy. He stepped out and texted Alicia to say he’d arrived. Then he tried his ex-wife again but got no response. If he hadn’t heard back by the morning, he would swing by her place. He wanted to see the kids and bring her up to speed on the situation with Luke. Despite their split, they were still on good terms. Even if it was a little strained.
On the weathered deck with three steps that went down to the ground, there were two colorful Adirondack chairs. Another two were by the water on a large floating dock.
