Page 9 of Silent Grave

Sheila copied down the information. "We'll talk to them right away. And Angela?" She waited until the other woman met her eyes. "We'll find him. I promise."

Outside, walking to their vehicle, Gabriel spoke quietly: "You shouldn't make promises like that.

"I know." Sheila unlocked the doors. "But right now, hope is all she has, even if she'll be heartbroken by bad news."

Gabriel opened his door, then stopped. "I wasn't thinking about how she'll be affected if you can't keep that promise. I was thinking about you. You break enough promises in this line of work—good promises, made with the best of intentions—and they start adding up like stones in your backpack."

Sheila climbed into the driver's seat. "Then let's make sure we don't have to break that promise."

CHAPTER FOUR

Sheila pulled into the station parking lot, mulling over the interviews.

"Well," she said, "their stories match perfectly. Maybe too perfectly."

Gabriel, seated in the passenger seat, clucked his tongue, an indication he was about to disagree with her. "No, not likely. I think Kyle and Marcus were genuinely worried. Besides, their timeline fits what we know. They texted Tyler at 8:47, decided to meet at the Copper Kettle instead. Their receipts confirm they were there by 9:15."

"And Tyler's truck was already at the mine when they changed plans." Sheila drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "Which means..."

"He went into that mine." Gabriel's voice was grim. "Question is why? His mother said he was claustrophobic."

"Maybe he heard something? Thought someone needed help?" She sighed. "The entrance was searched last night, but we need to go deeper. Get a proper team out there."

Her phone rang. Finn.

"Hey," she answered, trying to keep the exhaustion from her voice.

"Hey yourself. Star's at school, Tommy's secure, and I'm going crazy sitting at home. Let me come in."

"Finn..."

"I can at least do desk work. The doctor cleared me for that much."

She could picture him pacing their living room, frustrated at being sidelined. "You took a bullet less than a week ago. You need to heal."

"I hear you're working with your father."

There it was. The real reason for his call.

"I didn't have much choice," she said. "With you recovering and our most trusted deputies watching Tommy..."

"You trust him now?" Finn's voice was careful. "After everything?"

She glanced at her father, who was pretending not to listen. "He's trying to make things right."

"By helping you find a missing college kid? Or by keeping an eye on you while Tommy's in custody?"

"Finn..."

"I just worry," he said softly. "He lied to you for years, Sheila. About your mother's murder. About the corruption in the department. What makes you think you can trust him now?"

She watched her father step out of the car, giving her privacy. "Because I don't have a choice. And because..." She took a deep breath. "Because he's finally telling me the truth. About everything."

"You sure about that?"

"No," she admitted. "But right now, I need backup I can trust. And whatever else he's done, he's still a damn good cop."

Finn was quiet for a moment. "Just be careful, okay? And keep me updated—on the missing kid, on Tommy, on all of it."

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