Page 36 of Silent Home

"Sarah was devastated," someone else added."She'd researched the role for months.Even learned bell-ringing to understand the character better."

"And she was supposed to be here?"Finn asked.

The red-haired woman checked her phone."She helped organize this whole thing.I was texting all morning about it.But she hasn't responded in over an hour."

"That's not like her," another viewer said."She's almost compulsively punctual.Says it's a trait she picked up from auditioning."

Sheila was getting a bad feeling about this.She moved closer to the group."Tell me more about her audition."

"It was incredible," the red-haired woman said."I was working sound that day.She brought something different to Elena—this quiet intensity.Everyone thought she had it locked.But then the producers insisted on someone with more name recognition."

"The same producers who are here for the festival?"Finn asked.

"We'rehere," someone said."Most of them left when the festival got canceled.But yeah, same ones."

On screen, Elena was now at the top of the bell tower, the camera swirling around her as she confronted her demons.The scene was beautifully shot, but Sheila found herself more interested in the audience's reactions—particularly how several of them were shaking their heads.

"Kent's playing it too big," one viewer muttered."Sarah understood the subtlety."

"Where does Sarah live?"Sheila asked, trying to keep her voice casual.

"Over on Maple Street," the red-haired woman said."Apartment 3C.Should we...should we be worried?I mean, she's probably just sleeping in or something.The festival being canceled hit her pretty hard."

"Especially after what happened with Jessica Gregory," another viewer added."Sarah said it reminded her how fragile an acting career can be.How quickly opportunities can disappear."

The movie was building to its climax now, the bell tower scene reaching its dramatic peak.But Sheila was already moving toward the exit, Finn right behind her.

A young actor, devastated about losing a role.And now she wasn't answering her phone.

They needed to get to Sarah's apartment.

Before she became the killer's next performance.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Sheila took the stairs two at a time, her hand on her weapon.The third-floor hallway of Sarah Martinez's apartment building was eerily quiet, the kind of midday stillness that made every footstep seem too loud.

"Door's open," Finn said quietly, indicating apartment 3C.

Sheila's heart sank.No movement, no sound from within.Just the weight of silence and the faint scent of Sarah's perfume lingering in the air.

They drew their weapons and approached carefully.Sheila noticed a blue sweater draped over a chair just inside—the casual domesticity of it made her throat tighten.Someone getting ready to go out.Someone who expected to come back.

"Clear the rooms together?"Finn asked softly.

Sheila nodded.They'd done this countless times, but something about today felt different.Maybe it was the morning sun streaming through the windows, making everything too bright, too real.Or maybe it was the growing certainty of what they would find.

The living room was a snapshot of an artist's life.Scripts are scattered across a window seat, and post-it notes are marking crucial pages.A video camera set up on a tripod, presumably for recording audition tapes.Coffee cups on every surface, some still half-full.

But no sign of struggle.

"Kitchen's clear," Finn whispered, checking around the breakfast bar.

They moved deeper into the apartment.A hallway led to what appeared to be a bedroom, its door partially open.Sheila's training kicked in as they approached—check the corners, watch the sight lines, stay focused.

But nothing could have prepared her for what they found.

The bedroom door creaked as Finn pushed it open, revealing a scene that made Sheila's breath catch.Sarah Martinez sat propped against the headboard of her bed, perfectly posed.She wore a vintage dress that must have been brought by the killer—the same costume from the bell tower scene they'd just watched being projected at the Mountain View Theater.

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