Page 33 of Silent Prey

“Who?” Sheila asked as they descended the grungy stairwell of Hallstrom’s apartment complex.

“The missing woman’s name is Beverly King,” Finn said, reading from his phone. "Age twenty-nine, dark brown hair, medium height. She's an environmental scientist conducting field research on the island."

Sheila felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "When was she last seen?"

"Late this afternoon. She checked in with her team via radio around four pm, but failed to show up at six when the rest of the team were packing up for the day."

"And no one's heard from her since?" Sheila asked, already knowing the answer.

Finn shook his head solemnly. "No one."

"So we have another potential victim." How many more victims would have to die before they caught the killer? He’d already taken the lives of four young women.

Was Beverly King going to be next? Was she already dead?

The questions buzzed in Sheila's head as they left the building and headed toward the car. A chill had set in, and Sheila pulled her jacket tighter around herself. The night was dark and silent.

As Sheila climbed into the car, her phone buzzed with a text from Star. is it open now? I could blow off some steam.

Sheila tapped out a quick reply: How about we do some sparring this weekend? In the middle of an investigation.

She felt a tingle of guilt as she sent the message. Still, it was important to have boundaries. Star had to understand she couldn't just drop everything for her.

Star's reply came back only a few moments later. I could really use somewhere to go for a while.

"Everything alright?" Finn asked, studying Sheila as he started the car.

"Yes," she said. "Just give me a minute." Cant talk now, she wrote. Can i call you in a bit?

Seconds passed. Then a one-word reply: sure

Sheila nodded to herself, put the phone away, and turned her attention back to the investigation.

"Anyway," she said, "where was Beverly conducting her research?"

"The northern part of the island," he replied, his eyes focused on the road. "She was part of a team studying the impact of industrial pollution on local wildlife. They've got a station set up out there."

"And she was working alone? Nobody was within sight of her?”

“Right. She was off in a more isolated area, monitoring some bird species and their nests. Apparently, it's normal for them to split up during the day to cover more ground.”

Sheila surveyed the darkened houses and deserted streets as they drove, feeling a wave of despair. So far, the killer had been two steps ahead of them at every turn. If Beverly King had indeed become his next victim, he would only become more confident, more daring.

Meanwhile, they didn’t even have a solid lead.

Sheila thought of Beverly, alone and vulnerable while she worked. How long had the killer watched her? Had he planned the attack or come across her by chance and made the most of the opportunity? She supposed it was possible Beverly had simply gotten lost…but given the circumstances, that seemed more far-fetched than the alternative.

Besides, if Beverly had gotten lost, why wouldn’t she have called for help?

“The rangers are making sure nobody from Beverly’s team leaves the island,” Finn was saying. “We need to talk to them, see if they saw or heard anything. Who knows? Maybe the killer was stalking her for a while.”

Gazing out the window, Sheila’s attention was drawn to a sign for Saint Ives Hospital. “Isn’t Saint Ives where Diana worked?” she asked.

Finn frowned, thinking it over, then nodded. “Yeah. Why?”

A plan formed in Sheila’s mind. “Take this next exit. We need to split up.”

Finn gave her a dubious look, but he took the exit. “You want me to drop you off at the hospital?”

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