Page 53 of Silent Prayer

Sheila pointed to a few names. "David Larson, he's a local real estate agent. No criminal record, but he's been through two messy divorces. Could be harboring resentment toward women."

Finn shook his head. "Nah, I know Dave. He's a bit of a jerk, but he doesn't fit our profile. Who else?"

"Meredith Hale," Sheila continued. "She's new in town, moved here about eight months ago. Not much background on her."

"A woman?" Finn raised an eyebrow. "Possible, but doesn't fit with the descriptions of the killer. I know he wears disguises, but he'd have to be one hell of an actor for that."

Sheila nodded, scrolling further down the list. Suddenly, her finger stopped on a name. "Wait a minute. Ezra Thorne. That name rings a bell."

Finn's brow furrowed as he thought. "Ezra Thorne...didn't we see his name at that prop store?"

"Spotlight Costumes? Yeah, he was on that poster. The one for the theater." Her heart rate kicked up a notch as she looked up more information about Ezra Thorne on her laptop. It wasn't difficult to find articles from the Masquerade Theater group, one of which described Thorne as a 'set designer.'

"I've got his social media here," Finn said, scrolling through his phone. "Forty-two moved to Coldwater about a year ago. Big into acting. He could be the one that was staying in that hidden room in the theater."

Sheila nodded, a surge of adrenaline coursing through her. "And look at this—he's listed as the group leader for tonight's meeting of the Celestial Awakening."

Finn leaned back in his chair, processing the information. "It fits, Sheila. The theater connection, the timing of his arrival in Coldwater, his position in this new religious group. This could be our guy."

"We need to get to that meeting," Sheila said, already reaching for her jacket. "If Thorne is our killer, this might be our best chance to catch him in the act."

"Hold on," Finn cautioned, grabbing her arm. "We can't just barge in there. If we're wrong, we could blow the whole investigation. And if we're right, we could be walking into a room full of his followers."

Sheila paused, considering. "You're right. We need to be smart about this. We'll go undercover, pose as interested newcomers. We can observe Thorne, see how he interacts with the group, maybe even get him talking about his beliefs."

"This is a small town, Sheila. There's a decent chance someone might recognize us. We're not exactly strangers around here."

Sheila considered this for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not too worried about that. Think about it—most of the people who'd recognize us are upstanding citizens who wouldn't be mixed up in something like this. Plus, the group's only been around for six months. Chances are, the members are mostly newcomers to town or people who keep to themselves."

"Maybe," Finn said, though he still looked uncertain.

"It's a risk we have to take," Sheila said. "Besides, people see what they expect to see. No one's going to be looking for two cops at a spiritual meeting. As long as we play our parts well, we should be fine."

Finn's expression cleared, and he nodded. "So what's our cover story?"

"We'll be a couple interested in spiritual enlightenment," Sheila said, a grim smile forming on her face. "New to town, looking for meaning in our lives."

"And if we confirm thorne's our guy..." Finn said.

"We take him down," Sheila finished. "Quietly, without tipping off the rest of the group if possible."

Their eyes met, and Sheila could see the same mixture of excitement and determination she felt reflected in Finn's gaze.

"It's time we rip off his mask," she said.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Sheila felt a strange mixture of excitement and unease as she and Finn approached the community center. It wasn't often she went undercover, and she was keenly aware of how easily things could go wrong. If Ezra Thorne really was the killer, there was no telling how he would react to being confronted.

Nor what the other Celestial Awakening members might do if they were present when that confrontation happened.

They'd dressed casually—Sheila in jeans and a loose blouse, Finn in khakis and a polo shirt—trying to blend in with the crowd they expected at the meeting. They didn't know whether this group ever got walk-ins, but if all else failed, they could always pretend they were lost and looking for directions.

The building was an unremarkable brick structure, its windows glowing warmly in the gathering dusk. A simple sign by the entrance read "The Celestial Awakening—All Welcome." Sheila couldn't help but think of the irony: how unwelcome she and Finn would be if their true identities were discovered.

"Remember," Finn murmured as they neared the entrance, his breath visible in the cool air, "we're just a couple interested in spiritual enlightenment. Keep it low-key."

Sheila nodded, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She could feel the weight of her concealed weapon against her hip, a constant reminder of the danger they might be walking into. With one last shared glance, they pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

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