Page 41 of Silent Smile

"He wasn't at the house," Sheila said. "Do you know where we can find him?"

"Should be at work. He's got a job at the old steel mill downtown."

Sheila stood up, signaling the end of the interview. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Hawke. We'll be looking into your claims."

"Wait," Hawke said, swallowing hard. "What I said before, about Mick being there when I ordered pizza and pay-per-view… that was a lie. He wasn't there. I have no idea where he was."

Sheila gave him a long look, unsure what to make of this.

"Thank you for the explanation, Mr. Hawke," she said.

As they left the interrogation room, Sheila could feel the weight of Finn's gaze on her. She knew what was coming.

"You can't seriously be buying this," Finn said as soon as the door closed behind them.

Sheila sighed, leaning against the wall of the narrow hallway. "I'm not saying I believe him, Finn. But we have to consider all possibilities."

Finn shook his head, frustration evident in every line of his body. "Come on, Sheila. We've got the murder weapon buried in Hawke's yard. We've got motive, opportunity. What more do you need? He's clearly trying to pin it on his roommate to save his own skin."

"Maybe," Sheila conceded. "But I think it's worth looking into Mick. There might be something there."

"Hawke is just saying whatever he can to wriggle out of this. Since when do we take the word of a suspect over hard evidence?"

Sheila felt a flash of irritation. "I'm not talking about cutting him loose, Finn. I'm talking about being thorough. We follow every lead, no matter where it comes from. That's our job."

Finn looked like they wanted to say something more. Just then, however, rapid footsteps echoed down the hallway. They turned to see Deputy Chen hurrying toward them, a look of urgency on her face.

"Sheriff, Deputy," Chen panted, slightly out of breath. "We've located Malcolm O'Donnell's vehicle."

Sheila felt her pulse quicken. "Where is it?"

"Coldwater Regional Airport."

Finn clenched his jaw. "The bastard's running."

CHAPTER TWENTY

The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on the rows of parked cars at Coldwater Regional Airport. Sheila crouched beside Mick's abandoned vehicle, a battered blue Subaru Outback with a layer of desert dust coating its exterior. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she methodically searched the car's interior, the heat of the day turning the vehicle into an oven.

The parking lot stretched out around her, a vast sea of asphalt punctuated by the occasional island of withered landscaping struggling against the desert heat. The low hum of jet engines thrummed in the air.

"Anything?" Finn called from a few feet away, his phone pressed to his ear. He paced back and forth, his free hand gesticulating as he spoke with airport security.

Sheila shook her head, rifling through the glove compartment. "Nothing yet. Just some old receipts and a manual. What about airport security?"

Finn ended his call and walked over, squinting against the glare reflecting off the cars. "They're on high alert. If Mick tries to board a plane, he'll be arrested on sight. They've got his photo at every checkpoint and gate."

Sheila sat back on her heels, a frown creasing her brow. "What if he's already gone, Finn? He could have used a fake ID, been prepared for this. For all we know, he's halfway to another country by now."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Finn said, but Sheila could hear the doubt in his voice. He sighed. "We don't even know for sure he's even here. The car could be a misdirect."

Sheila nodded, acknowledging the possibility. "Still, it's the best lead we've got right now." She turned back to the car,determined to find something, anything that might point them in the right direction.

As she reached under the driver's seat, her hand brushed against something. She pulled it out—a crumpled brochure, its glossy surface marred by coffee stains and creases.

"Finn," she called, holding up the brochure. "Look at this. It's for Banff National Park."

Finn leaned in, his eyebrows raised. "Banff? That's in Canada, isn't it?"

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