Silent Smile (Sheila Stone #10)

CHAPTER FOUR

The Coldwater County Sheriff's Station hummed with activity as Sheila and Finn made their way to the bullpen. The air conditioning was a welcome relief from the scorching heat of the dunes, but it did nothing to cool the tension Sheila felt building between her and Finn.

Or maybe that's just my imagination, she thought. First day as sheriff, just moved in together—it's a lot of change. I'm probably just reading into things.

"Alright," she said, settling into her chair behind the desk that still felt too big for her. "Let's dig into Amanda Weller's background. I want to know everything about her—especially her online presence."

Finn nodded. "I'll pull up her social media accounts."

As Finn worked at his computer, Sheila couldn't help but notice the stiffness in his shoulders, the way he avoided meeting her eyes. Was he upset with her because she'd assigned him to search for evidence while she questioned Jake Pearson? Surely he understood that, as sheriff, she had to delegate.

It was part of the job.

"Got something," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "Amanda's Instagram account. Looks like she had quite a following—over 50,000 followers."

Sheila moved to look over his shoulder. On the screen, Amanda Weller's life unfolded in a series of carefully curated images. Breathtaking vistas, exotic locales, and daring adventures filled her feed.

"'Amanda's Ambitious Adventures,'" Sheila read aloud. "Looks like she really lived up to that name."

Finn nodded, scrolling through the posts. "She definitely had a thing for pushing boundaries. Look at this."

He clicked on a recent post—a stunning sunset shot taken from atop a towering sand dune. The caption read: "Sometimes the best views are just beyond the 'Do Not Enter' signs. #AdventureAwaits #HiddenGems"

Sheila frowned. "That looks like it could be in the restricted area of the park. Can you check if there are more posts like this?"

"I've got this," he said, giving her a quizzical, half-hurt smile. "I know how to do my job."

She raised her hands in self defense and retreated to her desk, thinking about Amanda's penchant for venturing into restricted areas. Had it gotten her killed? If someone had been stalking her, it certainly would've been easier to isolate her in an area other hikers were forbidden from visiting.

"Bingo," Finn said. "Take a look at this."

She moved back to his desk, where he had pulled up a series of posts from the past few months. Each one showcased Amanda in various off-limits areas—scaling a fence at a national monument, posing in a clearly marked ecologically sensitive zone, standing triumphantly atop a "No Trespassing" sign.

"Looks like our victim made a habit of ignoring the rules," Finn said. "Wasn't very subtle about it, either."

Sheila thought back to Jake's earlier words: If she went into a restricted area, it would have been with the utmost caution and respect.

Had he been lying to Sheila? Or was he simply unwilling to face the fact that Amanda had exploited these places for her own advancement?

"Well," Sheila said, "I think this answers the question of whether she was out there on her own or brought there by her killer."

"Which opens up a whole new set of possibilities," Finn added. "Maybe she encountered someone else out there—another thrill-seeker, or even someone lying in wait."

"Or maybe someone who took issue with her disregard for protected areas," Sheila mused. "A park ranger, an environmentalist..."

Finn leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "So what are you thinking? Personal vendetta or crime of opportunity?"

Sheila sighed, pacing the small space between their desks. "I don't know. Her behavior certainly made her vulnerable, but that symbol... it feels too specific, too ritualistic to be random."

"Unless the symbol was made up to make this look more complicated than it really is."

"Maybe," Sheila murmured, unconvinced. "We'll know a lot more once Dr. Zihao has examined the body."

She could feel Finn's eyes on her as she moved, could sense the unasked questions hanging in the air between them. The responsibility of her new position pressed down on her: the need to have all the answers, to lead with confidence. It made her feel that she and Finn weren't equals in this. They might be equals in their skills, but the buck didn't stop with Finn.

It stopped with her.

"Let's dig deeper into Amanda's background," Sheila said, returning to her desk. "I want to know everything about Amanda Weller—where she grew up, her education, past relationships, everything."

Finn nodded, turning back to his computer. "I'll start with a basic background check."

As they worked in silence, Sheila couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over them. The easy camaraderie they'd always shared seemed to have evaporated, replaced by a stilted professionalism that felt alien and uncomfortable.

The question was, how could she get that back?

Her phone lit up with a text from Star: Weird thing—went by the gym to train today but it was closed again. Your dad okay?

Sheila stared at the message. Odd—the gym was important to her dad, gave him a sense of purpose in retirement. And that fact, combined with how difficult it had been to reach him lately…

"More bad news?" Finn asked, noticing her concern.

Sheila shook her head, downplaying it. "Star was just hoping to go to the gym, but it's closed today. How's that background check coming?"

Finn studied her a few seconds longer, as if wondering whether or not to accept her explanation. Then, as if coming to a decision, he cleared his throat and said, "It's clean. I've got some info on her history, too. Looks like she's Chicago born and raised. Middle-class family, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Education?" Sheila asked, jotting notes on her pad.

"Northwestern University," Finn replied, scrolling through a document. "Graduated with a degree in marketing. Pretty impressive."

Sheila raised an eyebrow. "Northwestern? That's not cheap. Any info on how she paid for it?"

Finn tapped a few keys, frowning slightly. "Combination of scholarships and student loans. Looks like she worked part-time jobs throughout college too."

"Hardworking," Sheila mused. "What about after graduation?"

"Let's see..." Finn leaned in closer to his screen. "She landed a job at Thompson & Bradshaw right out of college. It's a pretty prestigious advertising firm in Chicago."

Sheila nodded, recognizing the name. "That's a great start for a new grad. How long was she there?"

Finn's brow furrowed as he scanned the information. "That's interesting. She was there for... just over three years. Then she quit."

"Quit?" Sheila echoed, surprise coloring her voice. "Any reason given?"

"Wanted a change of scenery, apparently. More travel, more adventure." He turned his monitor toward Sheila. "Two weeks after her last day at Thompson & Bradshaw, she registered the domain for her travel blog."

Sheila leaned in, studying the screen. "So she left a successful career in advertising to become a travel blogger? That's quite a leap."

Finn shrugged. "Not everyone dreams of climbing the corporate ladder."

Sheila caught the edge in his voice and paused, wondering if he was drawing a parallel to their own situation. She opened her mouth to respond, then thought better of it.

"Looks like she was pretty successful right out of the gate," Finn said, scrolling through Amanda's early blog posts. "She had a knack for finding unique locations and experiences. Her follower count grew exponentially in the first year."

Sheila nodded, then began scanning through the financial records she'd pulled up. "And it paid off. She was making a considerable income from sponsorships and affiliate marketing."

"Found something interesting," Finn said, his brow furrowed. "About six months ago, Amanda had a run-in with park authorities at Yellowstone. She was fined for entering a restricted thermal area."

"Was she arrested?" Sheila asked, leaning forward.

Finn shook his head. "No, just a citation. But get this—she posted about it on her blog. Turned it into content about 'learning from mistakes' and 'respecting nature's boundaries.'"

Sheila frowned. "So she knew the risks of entering restricted areas. This wasn't just naive thrill-seeking."

"No," Finn agreed. "She was well aware of what she was doing."

As they continued their research, Finn suddenly straightened in his chair. "You know, I think I might have a lead on that symbol."

Sheila looked up, surprised. "Oh? What have you found?"

"Not what, who," Finn replied, turning his monitor toward her. "Dr. Elena Fuller. She's a professor at Coldwater Community College, specializes in Native American symbolism and culture."

Sheila leaned in, scanning the webpage Finn had pulled up. "How did you come across her?"

"I remembered her name from a case a few months back," Finn explained. "She consulted on that grave desecration at the old Mission site, remember? I figure she might be able to give us some insight into this symbol."

Sheila nodded slowly, impressed by Finn's initiative but also feeling a twinge of... something. Jealousy? Insecurity? She pushed the feeling aside. "That's good thinking, Finn. Have you reached out to her yet?"

Finn shook his head. "Not yet. I was thinking of heading over to the college, see if I can catch her between classes."

"Good thinking," Sheila said, rising. "Let's get going."

"Actually," Finn said, still seated, "I was thinking I'd go on my own. Divide and conquer, and all that."

Sheila hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"I can handle it."

"I wasn't trying to imply you couldn't."

The words hung in the air between them, charged with unspoken tension. They stared at one another before Finn glanced away.

"Listen," he said in a softer voice, "this is going to be an adjustment for both of us, okay? It's going to take some to figure out how… how this all works."

Sheila nodded. "Of course."

Finn rose and made his way to the door. "I'll let you know what I find," he said. And with that, he left.

For a moment, Sheila simply stood there, unsure how to process what had just happened. "Divide and conquer," she murmured. She wished Finn had just told her he needed some space, which she believed was his true reason for wanting to go alone.

She just hoped this stress between them wouldn't compromise the investigation.

Sighing, she turned her mind back to the case. She decided she'd head back to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, talk to the staff. Considering Amanda's reputation for breaking the rules, there was a decent chance someone working at the park had caught her.

And maybe, just maybe, they had killed her for it.