Page 34 of Silent Past

"You trust her?"

"Yeah. Maria Suarez. Good investigator, knows how to be discreet." He pulled out his phone. "Want me to make the call?"

Sheila considered this as they wound through the red rock canyons. They needed those records—if Vale had documented the sale of the ceremonial robes, it could lead them to their killer. But every hour spent waiting for information from Seattle was another hour someone else might die.

"Make the call," she said finally. "But tell her we need this fast. And tell her to be careful. These aren't ordinary storage records she's looking for."

As Finn made the call, Sheila thought about what Keeling had said. These people are patient. They think in decades, not days. Their killer had been planning this for years, collecting sacred objects, studying ancient rituals.

The question was: who would be next?

Finn ended his call with Detective Suarez and immediately checked his email. "Phone records just came through for both victims," he said. He started scrolling through the documents on his phone. "Give me a minute to compile the data..."

They were passing through a stretch of empty desert, red rocks giving way to sage-dotted plains. The night air was cool and dry.

"Here we go," Finn said after a few minutes. "Mitchell received a call at 9:47 AM on the day she disappeared. Number traces to a burner phone, activated that morning, deactivated that night." He continued scrolling. "And Kane... similar pattern. The call came in at 2:15 PM the day he went missing. Different burner phone, same one-day usage."

"The killer called them directly," Sheila said. "Lured them out there."

"And they went willingly." Finn looked up from his phone. "Which means the killer knew exactly what to say to get their attention. Something about the caves, something that would appeal to their research interests."

Sheila's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "And now we've got the FBI crawling all over the cave system. Twenty-four-hour surveillance, restricted access."

"You think we've lost our chance to catch them?"

"The killer's not going to risk going back there. Not with that kind of presence." She stared at the empty road ahead. "If they have other bodies hidden in those caves, we'll probably find them. But the killer..."

"They'll just disappear," Finn finished. "Like those burner phones."

They drove in silence for a moment, both considering the implications. Their killer had been meticulous, patient. They'd studied their victims, understood their passions, used that knowledge to draw them out. And now, with their sacred burial ground compromised...

"What if they're not done?" Sheila said suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"These murders—they're ritual. Ceremonial. If we've blocked access to their chosen site..."

"You think they might choose a new location?"

Sheila nodded slowly. "We need to look at other cave systems in the region. Anywhere that might have similar spiritual significance."

"I'll make some calls," Finn said, already dialing. "See what the Forest Service knows about other cave networks in the area."

But Sheila couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. Somewhere out there, their killer was watching, planning, perhaps already selecting their next victim.

And this time, they'd be looking for a new place to complete their ritual.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Coyote Run's neon sign cast a blue glow across the crowded parking lot as Rachel pulled in. Her headlights swept past dozens of vehicles before she found a spot near the entrance. Country music and laughter spilled out each time the door opened, and she could see the packed bar through the windows, patrons crowded around high-top tables and pressed against the long wooden counter.

She checked her phone: 10:12 PM. Two texts from Mark:

Made it there yet?

And five minutes later: Starting to worry. Call me when you arrive.

She quickly typed back: Just got here. Place is packed. Lots of witnesses. Will update you after I meet him.

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