Page 41 of Silent Ritual

"What's he doing with an observatory?" Finn asked, looking from Star to Sheila.

Sheila could only shrug as she pulled up the observatory's website. "Let's see... Leonard Stark, owner and operator of StarGaze Observatory," she read aloud. "Provides nightly star viewings and lectures on the constellations. He's even written a few books on astrology and its relation to ancient rituals."

"Ancient rituals?" Finn echoed, his eyes narrowing in interest. "That sounds promising. Being interested in these subjects doesn’t make you a killer, though.”

“No,” Star said, sitting up suddenly as she studied her phone, “but death threats might.”

Sheila perked up. “Death threats? Where are you seeing this?”

"On a public forum," Star replied, quickly turning her phone toward them so they could see. "There's a thread where people are discussing Stark's lectures on astrology and rituals. And look at this." She pointed to a series of aggressive messages, all from the same user. The messages appeared to be part of an argument about astrology that had gotten very heated. One of the messages read, People like you should be killed to save us all from your idiotic beliefs.

“Still,” Finn said, playing devil’s advocate, “it’s not exactly concrete evidence of anything. We all make remarks we later regret when we’re heated.”

“There’s more,” Star said. “Listen to this: 'There will come a night when all stars align, and your blood will make the ultimate sacrifice.'"

Sheila stared at the screen for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. "I think we should go have a talk with Mr. Stark. He's in

“I think,” Finn said softly, “we should go have a talk with Mr. Stark.”

Finn nodded, already reaching for his jacket. "I'll call the station, have them bring him in for questioning."

As Finn dialed, Sheila turned to Star. "Good work. This could be a real lead."

Star beamed, a rare genuine smile lighting up her face. "So, do I get a badge now?"

Sheila chuckled, shaking her head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Finn's voice interrupted their moment. "What do you mean he's not there?" he asked, his tone sharp with surprise.

Sheila and Star both turned to look at him, tension filling the room.

"When?" Finn demanded into the phone. "And nobody thought to inform us?" He listened for a moment, his face growing increasingly grim. "Alright, thanks. Keep me posted."

He hung up and turned to Sheila, his expression grave. "Stark's not in jail. He posted bail this morning."

"What?" Sheila exclaimed. "How is that possible? Why weren't we notified?"

Finn ran a hand through his hair. "Apparently there was a mix-up in communication. The bail hearing was pushed up, and Stark had a lawyer ready. By the time anyone thought to inform us, he was already out."

Star's eyes darted between them, her earlier triumph fading into concern. "So...what does this mean?"

Sheila took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. "It means, Star, that our potential suspect is now out there, free to move around. And given what we've just discovered, that could be very dangerous indeed."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sheila pulled the cruiser into the parking lot of StarGaze Observatory, the sun just beginning to crest over the horizon. The air was crisp, the sky clear, promising a warm day once the morning chill burned off. The observatory itself stood like a sentinel against the backdrop of the early morning light, its dome gleaming faintly.

Against Star’s wishes, Sheila had insisted she stay at the precinct. Star had collapsed on the couch in melodramatic despair, but by the time Sheila and Finn were ready to go a few minutes later, Star had fallen asleep. Good, Sheila had thought. She needs it.

Now, staring at the Observatory, Sheila focused all her attention on the case. She reminded herself of what had happened back at the university—her and Finn’s near-death experience. No matter how tired she was, no matter how much she might worry about what was going to happen with Star, she needed to be locked in for this. She took a breath, calmed herself, and then climbed out of the car.

Finn adjusted his holster as he stepped out of the car, glancing around the deserted lot. "Doesn't look like anyone's here yet," he said, his voice low but alert.

"Good," Sheila replied, closing her door quietly. "Gives us a chance to catch him off guard."

They approached the main entrance, the gravel crunching under their feet. Sheila reached for the handle, but the door was electronically locked. She frowned, tapping a code pad next to the door, but nothing happened. "Damn, it's locked."

Finn took a step back, scanning the walls of the building. "There may be another entrance," he suggested, pointing to a narrow path around the side of the structure that disappeared from view.

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