Page 12 of Silent Neighbor

CHAPTER FIVE

I sure hope this can give us some answers, Sheila thought as she and Finn stood in Jake Pearson's living room, staring at his sleek desktop computer.

The house was a testament to Jake's personality: modern, with clean lines and large windows that offered breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. It was the kind of place that seemed to bring the outdoors inside, blurring the line between comfort and adventure.

Maya hovered behind them, her eyes red-rimmed from crying but her voice steady as she spoke. "Jake designed this place himself, you know. Said he wanted a home that reflected his love for nature."

She ran her hand along the smooth surface of a nearby bookshelf. "When I first saw it, I thought it was too... I don't know, too exposed? But now, I can't imagine living anywhere else. It's like being on the edge of wilderness, but safe."

Sheila nodded sympathetically, her attention split between Maya's words and the task at hand. She moved the mouse, waking the computer from its sleep mode. Immediately, they were confronted with a login screen.

"Maya," Sheila said gently, "do you know Jake's password?"

Maya bit her lip, thinking. "He never told me outright, but... maybe try 'AdventureCalls4321'? That was kind of his motto this year."

Sheila typed it in, but the computer beeped in rejection. "Any other ideas?"

"Um, maybe 'MayaLove1995'? That's my birth year..." Maya shrugged, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Again, no luck. Maya's brow furrowed in concentration. "I'm sorry, I should know this. We lived together, for God's sake."

"It's okay," Finn said, smiling reassuringly. "Sometimes people keep their passwords private, even from their loved ones. Let's think about this. What were Jake's passions? What defined him?"

Maya paced the room, her eyes roaming over Jake's belongings as if searching for inspiration. "Well, he loved climbing, obviously. And photography. He was always taking pictures of his adventures."

Sheila's eyes lit up. "What about his camera? What kind did he use?"

"A Canon EOS R5," Maya replied automatically. "He saved for months to buy it."

Sheila typed in 'CanonEOSR5', but the computer remained locked. She frowned, thinking.

"I feel certain it had the word 'Canon' in it," Maya murmured. "Maybe…" she stopped pacing. "ClimbingCanon! That's it!"

Sheila entered the password, and to their collective relief, the computer sprang to life, revealing Jake's desktop.

Maya let out a shaky breath. "I can't believe I didn't remember it sooner."

Sheila gave her a reassuring smile. "You did great, Maya. This is a big help."

Maya hovered for a moment longer, then seemed to deflate slightly. "I... I think I need some air. Is it okay if I step outside for a bit?"

"Of course," Finn said gently. "Take all the time you need. We'll let you know if we need anything else."

As Maya left the room, Sheila turned her full attention to the computer. She quickly navigated to the browser, scanning the open tabs. Nothing immediately jumped out as suspicious: some climbing gear websites, a few news articles, a weather report for the Valley of the Gods.

"Here we go," Sheila murmured, clicking on a tab that opened to a forum. The banner at the top read 'Extreme Limits: Push Boundaries, Defy Death.'

Finn leaned in closer. "Charming name," he said dryly.

Sheila scrolled through the forum, taking in the usernames and post titles. It was a mixture of adventure stories, gear reviews, and challenge propositions, all centered around extreme sports and daredevil stunts.

"Look at this," Sheila said, pointing to a recent post by a user named 'CliffHanger89,' which appeared to be Jake's username. The post, dated yesterday, contained a photo of Jake at the edge of a cliff, his body tilted backward as if he was about to fall.

Finn whistled low. "Talk about tempting fate. The timestamp on this... he must have uploaded it from his phone not long before he died."

Sheila nodded, a frown creasing her brow. "Which reminds me—we still haven't found his phone. The killer might have taken it."

"A souvenir?" Finn suggested.

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