Page 30 of Silent Smile

Finn took a hesitant breath. "Park superintendent's not going to like that. You know how much revenue this place brings in."

"I don't care," Sheila said firmly. "Two people are dead. We're not risking a third."

***

As Sheila and Finn pulled up to the park administration building, Sheila noticed there were lights still on inside even though it was past midnight. She took it as a good sign. The superintendent ought to be doing everything within his power to address this crisis.

Sheila and Finn went inside without a word.

The office of Park Superintendent Marcus Sheridan was a study in organized chaos. Maps and charts covered the walls, stacks of reports littered every surface, and a large whiteboard dominated one wall, covered in scribbled notes and schedules. The room smelled of coffee and stale cigarette smoke, despite the 'No Smoking' sign prominently displayed.

Sheridan himself was a bear of a man, his salt-and-pepper hair cropped short, his weathered face testament to years spent in the outdoors. Dark circles under his eyes suggested he'd been up all night, likely since the news of Donovan's disappearance broke. He leaned back in his creaking chair, fixing Sheila and Finn with a steely gaze.

"I assume you're here about Donovan," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Terrible business. Just terrible."

Sheila nodded, taking a seat across from Sheridan. Finn remained standing, leaning against the wall near the door. "Mr. Sheridan," Sheila began, "I'll cut to the chase. Given the circumstances, we believe it's necessary to temporarily close the park."

Sheridan's reaction was immediate and vehement. "Absolutely not," he said, sitting up straight. "We can't shut down the park. People need to know this place is safe and that we're doing everything we can to protect them."

Sheila leaned forward, her patience wearing thin. "That's just the problem. This placeisn'tsafe, not right now. Two people are dead, murdered in your park. If you want to protect your visitors, then keep them away."

"What makes you think there's going to be another attack? Maybe this—" Sheridan made a vague gesture in the air. "This wackjob had a grudge against two people, and so he took them out. Doesn't mean anyone else is in danger."

Sheila could hardly believe the intellectual hoops the superintendent was jumping through to justify keeping the park open. "I've dealt with a number of homicide investigations," she said. "This bears the hallmarks of a serial killer. We have every reason to believe that this person will keep killing until we stop them, and for whatever reason, this park seems to be their favored hunting ground."

"Hunting ground," Sheridan murmured. "So we close off a section of the park where the murders have taken place. Doesn't mean we have to shut down the whole operation."

Sheila pressed her lips together tightly. "Mr. Sheridan, two people have been murdered. I'm not sure you're grasping the severity of the situation."

"With all due respect, Sheriff Stone, I'm responsible for this entire park. I very much grasp the severity of the situation, but making rash decisions won't help."

Sheridan stood up and began pacing behind his desk. "Do you have any idea what closing the park would do to this community? The economic impact would be devastating. People rely on the income from tourism. Jobs would be lost. Businesses would suffer."

Sheila's eyes narrowed. He was seriously concerned about the economics right now? She had to find some way to get him to focus on the human element here.

Her gaze fell on a framed photo on his desk—Sheridan with two smiling children, a boy and a girl, both with their father's dark hair and strong features.

"Those your kids?" she asked, her voice softening slightly.

Sheridan glanced at the photo, a flicker of something—pride? worry?—crossing his face. "Yes. Tommy's twelve, Twila's nine. Why?"

"What if it was one of them?" Sheila asked quietly. "What if it was Tommy or Twila buried in the sand with that symbol drawn on their forehead?"

The color drained from Sheridan's face. He sank back into his chair, suddenly looking much older. "That's not fair," he said weakly.

"Neither is murder," Finn said. "Look, we're not talking about shutting down the park indefinitely. Just temporarily, until we can catch this killer and ensure the park is safe."

Sheridan was silent for a long moment, his internal struggle visible on his face. He picked up a stress ball from his desk, squeezing it rhythmically as he thought. Finally, he sighed heavily. "Alright. We'll close the park temporarily. But I want daily updates on your progress. The moment you determine it's safe, we reopen. Deal?"

Sheila nodded, relief washing over her. "Deal. Thank you, Mr. Sheridan. I promise we'll work as quickly and thoroughly as we can."

As Sheridan reached for his phone to begin the process of closing the park, Sheila cleared her throat. "There's one more thing we need."

Sheridan looked up, wary. "What's that?"

"We need to interview all park staff," Sheila said. "Everyone, from the most senior ranger to the newest hire in the gift shop."

"Now, wait a minute," Sheridan protested, his face reddening. "My people aren't suspects. They're dedicated professionals—"

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