Page 45 of Silent Smile

"Or if someone told him," Finn said. "We should check which park employees he's still in contact with. And that botany background he mentioned—that's new information. Worth looking into."

Sheila sighed, her mind racing through their options. "For now, we dig deeper. We need to verify every aspect of their stories, no matter how small. Check and double-check their alibis, even if they seem impossible to confirm. Go back throughevery piece of evidence we've collected, see if we've missed anything."

Finn nodded, a determined look in his eyes despite his obvious fatigue. "What about the plant selling operation? Should we bring in the DEA?"

Sheila considered this for a moment. "Not yet. Let's keep that as leverage for now. If one of them is our killer, the threat of additional federal charges might be what we need to break them."

"And if neither of them is the killer?" Finn asked quietly.

The question hung in the air between them, giving voice to the doubt that had been nagging at Sheila. What if they were on the wrong track entirely? What if the real killer was still out there, watching and waiting?

She straightened up, squaring her shoulders. "Then we keep looking. We follow every lead, chase down every possibility until we find the truth. These victims deserve justice, Finn. And we're going to get it for them, no matter what it takes."

As they hurried down the hallway, however, Mick's words echoed in Sheila's head:You really think I'd be stupid enough to hide that shovel in my own backyard?

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

The clock on Sheila's office wall ticked relentlessly, each second a reminder of the time pressure they were under. It was just past 6 PM, and Sheila had been staring at the evidence board for the better part of an hour. Photos of Amanda Weller and Carl Donovan stared back at her. Between them, pictures of Mick O'Donnell and Jason Hawke were connected by a web of red string, each intersection marked with a question mark.

A knock at the door broke her concentration. Finn entered, a thick file tucked under his arm and two cups of coffee in his hands. "Thought you could use this," he said, placing one cup on her desk. "Got the background checks on Mick and Jason."

Sheila took a grateful sip of the coffee before flipping open the file. "Anything stand out to you?" she asked, looking up at Finn.

He shook his head, leaning against the edge of her desk. "Not really. Neither has a history of violence. Mick had a few minor drug possession charges in his youth, but nothing in the last decade. Jason's record is clean, apart from a couple of parking tickets."

Sheila sighed, tossing the file onto her desk. They'd been at this for hours, and they seemed no closer to the truth. Both men were still in custody, but without concrete evidence linking either of them to the murders, they couldn't hold them much longer.

She stood up, stretching muscles stiff from hours of sitting. As she did, her eyes fell on the crime scene photos, specifically the strange symbol found on both victims' foreheads.

"What about the symbol?" she asked. "Did you find anything relevant in either suspect's background?"

Finn shook his head. "Nothing."

This troubled Sheila more than anything else. Whoever had drawn that symbol had done so for a reason, and though it was possible it was meant to be a distraction, that explanation alone wasn't satisfying.

Just then, a soft knock on the open door frame drew her attention. Dr. Nora Redfeather stood there, a hesitant smile on her face. "Sheriff Stone? I hope I'm not interrupting."

Sheila straightened, surprised by the unexpected visit. "Dr. Redfeather, please come in. What brings you here?"

Dr. Redfeather entered, her eyes darting to the evidence board before settling back on Sheila. "I was wondering how the investigation was going. These murders... they've shaken our community. I just wanted to see if there was any progress."

Sheila gestured for her to take a seat, exchanging a quick glance with Finn, who looked as surprised by Dr. Redfeather's arrival as she was. "We're working on it. Actually, since you're here, maybe you could help us. You know both Mick O'Donnell and Jason Hawke, right?"

"Mick and Jason?" Dr. Redfeather asked, looking surprised. "Are they suspects?"

"Persons of interest," Finn said.

"Do you know them?" Sheila asked.

Dr. Redfeather nodded slowly. "Yes, I do. From their work at the park. I've known them for years."

"What can you tell us about them?" Sheila leaned forward, her elbows on the desk. "Do you think they're capable of murder?"

Dr. Redfeather's brow furrowed, her hands clasping tightly in her lap. She seemed to be weighing her words carefully. "I... I'm hesitant to speak ill of anyone, Sheriff. But the truth is I've had my private suspicions about both of them for years."

"What kind of suspicions?"

"Well," Dr. Redfeather began, her voice low, "Mick always seemed a bit... unstable. He'd have these mood swings, and sometimes I'd catch him talking to himself out in the dunes. At first, I thought he was just eccentric, you know? But there were times when he'd get this look in his eyes... it was unsettling."

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