Page 14 of Once Silenced

She could see skepticism cloud Meredith’s eyes as she took out the two copies that her daughters had used to work out the problems.But as she continued, going over the exact numbers and how the two odd ones fitted together, something shifted.A flicker of interest sparked behind Meredith’s guarded expression, betraying the gruff exterior that had come to define him.

Riley carefully explained all the details of how the apparently innocuous classroom materials pinned to the victims led straight to the rugged heart of Virginia’s wilderness.The Blue Ridge Wilderness Park was an expanse of untamed forest, a place where secrets could easily remain hidden.

Silence fell over the room as Meredith absorbed all of her findings.Riley found herself holding her breath, waiting for the verdict from the man who had once been her team chief.Would he cast aside her findings, or would he recognize the glimmer of truth she presented?

Meredith leaned back in his chair, staring directly at her.Then he looked at Bill, who said firmly, “It all makes sense to me, and I thought this information should come directly from Riley to you right away.”

“Before I make any decisions,” Meredith finally broke his stillness, “I need to speak with Ivor Putnam.”He glanced up at Riley.“He’s the team chief for the Whitfield and Fenn murders.Although he hasn’t reported this kind of findings, chances are that he’s already onto this.If he’s not …”

Riley knew of Putnam by reputation—a sharp mind, but one not easily swayed by others’ input, and not an easy agent to get along with.Would he resent information from outside his own investigation or welcome it?

With a few pressed buttons, Meredith initiated the call, activating the speaker function.The dial tone buzzed.

“Putnam,” Meredith’s voice was firm.

“Go ahead, sir,” came the crisp, self-assured response from Ivor Putnam.His tone reflected his reputation—a brilliant agent whose arrogance often overshadowed his achievements.

“Your progress on the Whitfield and Fenn case?”Meredith asked.

Riley’s gaze lingered on the floor, tracing the pattern of the carpet tiles as she waited for Putnam’s reply.She was grateful for Bill sitting beside her.

“My team’s spread out between Roanoke and Slippery Rock,” Putnam reported, his voice echoing off the walls.“I’m with the team here in Roanoke.We’re chasing down leads, but it’s slow going.This is a substantial city, not as simple to work as the Slippery Rock crime scene.”

Meredith asked bluntly, “And Blue Ridge Wilderness Park, has that come up in your investigation?”

There was a slight pause on the line, one that stretched long enough for Riley to feel her heart thump.She imagined Putnam, miles away, considering Meredith’s query, wondering why, and analyzing every piece of data his sharp mind had cataloged.

“Blue Ridge?”Putnam finally echoed, his voice tinged with an air of bewilderment that seemed out of place for a man of his confidence.“No, that park’s not on our radar,” he continued.“Why should it be?”

Meredith leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his shift in weight.“Could be something there.”

“Sir, can you explain what caught your attention?”Putnam asked.“I’ll be glad to follow up.”

“I’m going to ask Special Agent Riley Paige to explain,” Meredith told the agent.

The silence on the phone line was thick, nearly tangible.Then Riley began.

“Special Agent Putnam, I’ve been interested in the equations on the quiz sheets from both victims.”

There was no response, so she continued.

“The answers to two equations, one from each sheet, are map coordinates.Put together, they mark a specific location within the Blue Ridge Wilderness Park.”She thought it wiser not to mention that her young daughters had immediately noticed those two unusual numbers.

A static-filled silence followed her statement.Riley could picture Putnam at the other end, his frown, the cogs turning in his methodical mind.She imagined the way he would be holding his phone, his posture rigid with tension—a mirror of their own.

“Interesting,” came Putnam’s voice finally, so quiet they had to strain to hear it.His surprise was a rare crack in the facade of an agent who had a reputation for being unflappable.

Riley’s eyes met Bill’s.They were onto something that Putnam had missed, and they knew it.Riley felt Meredith’s gaze on her, assessing, calculating.

“Frankly, we considered those sheets to be innocuous,” Putnam conceded after what felt like an eternity.“And separate.Of course my team worked out the problems, but they didn’t put any of the answers from the separate crime scene papers together, not like that.”

“Then consider this your wakeup call,” Meredith’s voice cut through the room, carrying his full authority.“I’m sending Paige out there.You two will link up at the park’s visitor center at noon.Listen to her.Figure out what this is all about.”

“Understood,” Putnam replied, though his tone lacked its former crisp certainty.

Riley exhaled slowly.The wheels were in motion now.A part of her—the part that thrived on the hunt—felt a spark of life flicker.

Meredith ended the call with a decisive click, and Riley sensed the shift in the room.Tomorrow’s rendezvous was not just another appointment; it was a convergence of minds on a path that might lead to clarity or trouble.The once theoretical connection between the case and the serene landscapes of Blue Ridge had morphed into a tangible lead, one she was now called upon to explain to another agent, perhaps to investigate in the real world.

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