Page 28 of Silent Smile

"Let's get back to the park and join the search," she said as she climbed into the vehicle.

"There's one piece of good news," Finn said. "We've crossed one person off the suspect list."

"Sure," Sheila said. "And the flip side is that we don't have another suspect to replace Blackwood. The killer could be anyone—anyone at all."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The desert night was alive with whispers. Sand shifted in the cool breeze, crickets chirped their nightly chorus, and in the distance, voices called out, searching. But here, in this secluded hollow between towering dunes, a different kind of work was being completed.

Moonlight bathed the scene in an ethereal glow as steady hands smoothed sand around a man's neck. Carl Donovan's eyes were vacant and glassy.

Lifeless.

Sage stood back, admiring his handiwork. Donovan's head protruded from the sand like some macabre desert flower, his body completely entombed beneath the cool grains. It was perfect. Just like Amanda Weller had been.

A twig snapped in the distance, followed by a shout. The search party was getting closer. But there was no need to rush. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

Sage took a few breaths, savoring the moment. Then, picking up the shovel, he made his way to a nearby rock formation and slipped it into a hidden crevice, invisible unless you knew exactly where to look.

Now for the performance of a lifetime.

"Help! Over here! I've found someone!"

The shout echoed across the dunes. Sage stumbled toward the searching flashlight beams, waving his arms frantically.

"Quickly! This way!"

The search party converged on Sage's location, their excited voices carrying through the night air. As they approached, Sage doubled over, hands on his knees, the picture of exhaustion and shock.

"I... I was searching the area," Sage gasped out as the first rescuers arrived. "I saw something... I thought it was just a trick of the light at first, but..."

He gestured toward where Donovan lay buried. The searchers' flashlights found him immediately, eliciting a chorus of shocked exclamations.

"Oh my God!"

"Is he alive?"

"Someone call for medevac!"

The scene exploded into frenzied activity. Sage stepped back, allowing the search and rescue team to take over.

As paramedics worked to carefully extract Donovan from his sandy tomb, Sage glimpsed Sheriff Stone and Deputy Mercer approaching. Sage composed his features into a mask of concern.

"Who found the body?" Sheriff Stone asked, looking around.

"I did," Sage said, his voice trembling with well-practiced distress. "I shouted for help right away."

"You didn't touch anything?" Deputy Mercer asked.

Sage shook his head. "No, sir. Not a thing."

Sheriff Stone was studying him closely. Did she recognize him? No, impossible. It was too dark, and besides that, Sage had changed clothes and even styled his hair differently, not to mention throwing his voice to sound higher.

She's clever,Sage thought.But if you go for her gun right now, before it all crystallizes in her head…

Sheila opened her mouth to say something, but just then a commotion erupted from the perimeter. "Car approaching!" someone shouted. "Looks like news media!"

Several beams of light swung toward the access road, where headlights were indeed bouncing across the dunes. "Keep them back!" Sheila commanded sharply, already moving toward the gathering threat. "This is an active crime scene!"

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