Page 10 of Silent Smile

He nodded. "When they brought me over to identify her body… that was the first time I'd ever seen it. And I know you're just doing your job, but I'd appreciate it if I never see that symbol again. As far as I'm concerned, it means only one thing."

"What's that, Mr. Pearson?"

He stared at Sheila with haunted eyes. "That the woman I love is gone—forever."

CHAPTER FOUR

The Coldwater County Sheriff's Station hummed with activity as Sheila and Finn made their way to the bullpen. The air conditioning was a welcome relief from the scorching heat of the dunes, but it did nothing to cool the tension Sheila felt building between her and Finn.

Or maybe that's just my imagination,she thought.First day as sheriff, just moved in together—it's a lot of change. I'm probably just reading into things.

"Alright," she said, settling into her chair behind the desk that still felt too big for her. "Let's dig into Amanda Weller's background. I want to know everything about her—especially her online presence."

Finn nodded. "I'll pull up her social media accounts."

As Finn worked at his computer, Sheila couldn't help but notice the stiffness in his shoulders, the way he avoided meeting her eyes. Was he upset with her because she'd assigned him to search for evidence while she questioned Jake Pearson? Surely he understood that, as sheriff, she had to delegate.

It was part of the job.

"Got something," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "Amanda's Instagram account. Looks like she had quite a following—over 50,000 followers."

Sheila moved to look over his shoulder. On the screen, Amanda Weller's life unfolded in a series of carefully curated images. Breathtaking vistas, exotic locales, and daring adventures filled her feed.

"'Amanda's Ambitious Adventures,'" Sheila read aloud. "Looks like she really lived up to that name."

Finn nodded, scrolling through the posts. "She definitely had a thing for pushing boundaries. Look at this."

He clicked on a recent post—a stunning sunset shot taken from atop a towering sand dune. The caption read: "Sometimes the best views are just beyond the 'Do Not Enter' signs. #AdventureAwaits #HiddenGems"

Sheila frowned. "That looks like it could be in the restricted area of the park. Can you check if there are more posts like this?"

"I've got this," he said, giving her a quizzical, half-hurt smile. "I know how to do my job."

She raised her hands in self defense and retreated to her desk, thinking about Amanda's penchant for venturing into restricted areas. Had it gotten her killed? If someone had been stalking her, it certainly would've been easier to isolate her in an area other hikers were forbidden from visiting.

"Bingo," Finn said. "Take a look at this."

She moved back to his desk, where he had pulled up a series of posts from the past few months. Each one showcased Amanda in various off-limits areas—scaling a fence at a national monument, posing in a clearly marked ecologically sensitive zone, standing triumphantly atop a "No Trespassing" sign.

"Looks like our victim made a habit of ignoring the rules," Finn said. "Wasn't very subtle about it, either."

Sheila thought back to Jake's earlier words:If she went into a restricted area, it would have been with the utmost caution and respect.

Had he been lying to Sheila? Or was he simply unwilling to face the fact that Amanda had exploited these places for her own advancement?

"Well," Sheila said, "I think this answers the question of whether she was out there on her own or brought there by her killer."

"Which opens up a whole new set of possibilities," Finn added. "Maybe she encountered someone else out there—another thrill-seeker, or even someone lying in wait."

"Or maybe someone who took issue with her disregard for protected areas," Sheila mused. "A park ranger, an environmentalist..."

Finn leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "So what are you thinking? Personal vendetta or crime of opportunity?"

Sheila sighed, pacing the small space between their desks. "I don't know. Her behavior certainly made her vulnerable, but that symbol... it feels too specific, too ritualistic to be random."

"Unless the symbol was made up to make this look more complicated than it really is."

"Maybe," Sheila murmured, unconvinced. "We'll know a lot more once Dr. Zihao has examined the body."

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