Page 64 of Silent Home

"There might be a way," Gabriel finally said."Someone your mother trusted back when she was building her case.Someone outside the usual channels."

"Who?"

"Let me make some calls first.From a secure line."He stood, his joints crackling."But Sheila?"His voice grew softer."Whatever we do next, we have to be smart.These people—they've had decades to build their network, place their people.One wrong move..."

"I know."She thought of the burning laptop, of Tommy in his hospital bed, of her mother's unsolved murder."But we can't just let them win."

"The problem is time," Finn said."The longer we wait, the more chances they have to get to Tommy.Or destroy evidence we haven't found yet."

Gabriel moved to the window, checking the perimeter out of habit."Tommy must have known he was in danger the moment he was arrested.If he was smart, he'd have gathered evidence he could use as leverage, something he would threaten to expose if the people he was working for tried to get rid of him."

"Like the laptop," Finn said."The fact that they went to such great lengths to destroy it suggests they were afraid it had damning information.Without that leverage, they have no reason to keep Tommy alive."

Sheila chewed her lip, thinking."You're forgetting something.They attempted to kill TommybeforeI found that laptop, which suggests they're not afraid of him having leverage—they're afraid of him talking.They need to shut him up at all costs—which means we have to get him to talk at all costs."

"And Star?"Finn asked in a low voice.

"Star."Sheila's voice caught slightly."Can you call Neville?Make sure everything's okay?"

Finn was already pulling out his phone, stepping away to make the call.Sheila turned to her father.

"Who's this person you trust?The one Mom worked with?"

"Someone outside the department.Outside Utah law enforcement entirely."Gabriel's voice dropped lower."But arranging a meeting will be tricky.They'll be watching all of us."

"Let me worry about that."Sheila glanced at Finn, who was still on the phone."What matters is getting Tommy to talk before they try again."

Finn returned, his expression grim."Star's fine.Neville has her at the house, watching movies.But Sheila..."He hesitated and glanced at Gabriel."Star isn't the only one they threatened.You really want to push this?"

"What's the alternative?"She met his eyes."Let them control us through fear?Let them keep using the people we love as leverage?"She shook her head."That's exactly how they've operated for decades.How they kept Mom's murder buried all these years."

"I should be with you," Finn said."When you meet this person."

"No."Sheila's voice was firm."I need you with Star.Dad will be with me."She managed a small smile."Besides, you're the only other person besides Neville I trust completely.I need to know Star's protected."

"She's right," Gabriel said."The fewer people at this meeting, the better."He touched his daughter's shoulder."And I won't let anything happen to her."

Finn still looked unhappy, but he nodded."When?"

"Tonight," Gabriel said."After dark.I'll make the arrangements."

"You're sure about this person?"Sheila asked."Sure they can be trusted?"

Gabriel's expression darkened."I'm not sure anyone can be trusted right now.But we have to trust someone, don't we?"

The wind picked up outside, rattling the station's loose boards.Sheila thought about Star watching movies with Neville, unaware of the danger surrounding her.Thought about Tommy in his hospital bed, about her mother's unsolved murder, about decades of corruption that had destroyed countless lives.

"Make the call," she told her father."Set up the meeting."

Because fear, she knew, was exactly what these people counted on.Fear of losing loved ones, fear of speaking out, fear of standing up to power.

And she was done being afraid.

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