Page 21 of Silent Smile

As they watched him return to his group, Finn leaned in close to Sheila. "What do you think?"

Sheila shook her head slightly. "I think we need to speak to this woman he mentioned, this…" She glanced down at the paper. "Debbi Ryder."

"And in the meantime," Finn said in a low voice, "we'll keep an eye on Blackwood. I'll tell the park staff to keep an eye out for him. If he tries to flee, we'll know."

"Unless he hides in the park," Sheila said. "Because if anyone would know where to go… it would be a tour guide."

CHAPTER NINE

"Ms. Ryder, we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us," Sheila said, her voice calm and reassuring as she settled into a worn chair in the small break room of the Coral Sands Motel.

Debbi Ryder, a petite woman with mousy brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, nodded nervously, her eyes darting between Sheila and Finn. "Of course. But I'm not sure how much help I can be. Is Eric in some kind of trouble?"

Finn, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, spoke up before Sheila could respond. "That depends on what you can tell us about his whereabouts last night."

Sheila shot Finn a quick, warning glance. His direct approach, while often effective, wasn't what she had in mind for this particular interview. She turned back to Debbi with a softer expression. "We're just trying to establish some facts, Ms. Ryder. How long have you known Eric?"

"About a year, I guess," Debbi replied, her brow furrowed in concentration. "We met at a community cleanup event in the park. Eric was organizing it."

Sheila nodded encouragingly. "And what can you tell us about Eric? What kind of person is he?"

Debbi's expression softened, a small smile playing at her lips. "Eric is... passionate. Especially when it comes to the dunes. He cares so deeply about preserving them, protecting them from harm. Sometimes I think he loves those sand dunes more than anything else in the world."

Sheila had the impression there was a lot more than Debbi was sharing. She seemed… uneasy. Like she was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"Do you think he would ever break any laws to protect them?" Finn interjected, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

Sheila suppressed a sigh. This was exactly the kind of abrupt question she'd been hoping to avoid. She watched as Debbi's smile faltered, her fingers twisting the hem of her uniform.

"I... I don't know. Maybe. It's complicated," Debbi admitted, her voice small.

Sensing Debbi's discomfort, Sheila decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Ms. Ryder, can you tell us about Eric's work at the park? What does he enjoy most about being a tour guide?"

As Debbi began to speak about Eric's love for educating visitors about the dunes' ecosystem, Sheila noticed Finn shifting impatiently. She knew he wanted to cut to the chase, to ask about the night of the murder directly. But Sheila believed that building rapport with Debbi first would lead to more honest, detailed answers later.

"...and then Eric showed them this tiny desert flower," Debbi was saying, her eyes lighting up. "You should have seen how excited the kids got when he explained how it survives in such harsh conditions."

Finn cleared his throat. "That's fascinating, Ms. Ryder, but—"

"And how often does Eric lead these educational tours?" Sheila asked quickly, shooting Finn a warning glance.

Debbi opened her mouth to respond, but Finn interjected, his voice tight with barely contained impatience. "Sheriff, don't you think we should—"

"Just a moment, Deputy," Sheila said, turning back to Debbi with a reassuring smile. "Please, go on."

Finn exhaled sharply and crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall. His foot tapped a rapid, irritated rhythm on the linoleum floor.

Debbi glanced uncertainly between them before continuing. "Well, he tries to do at least one educational tour aweek, especially during school field trip season. He says it's the best part of his job, inspiring the next generation of conservationists."

Sheila nodded, noting how Debbi relaxed as she spoke about Eric's passion for his work. She let the conversation flow for a few more minutes, watching as Debbi's earlier nervousness faded.

Finally, sensing the time was right, Sheila leaned forward. "Ms. Ryder, we need to ask you about last night. Were you with Eric?"

Debbi's shoulders tensed immediately. "Yes. We had dinner, watched a movie. I spent the night."

"The entire night?" Sheila asked, noting how Debbi's fingers twisted anxiously in her lap.

"I... I fell asleep around ten or eleven. When I woke up early this morning, Eric was already up, making coffee. Said he'd been up for a while."

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