Page 16 of Silent Road

"Could we trace the paper?"Tommy asked.

"Maybe."Sheila turned the photo carefully, studying the borders."But this kind of paper is sold at any professional photography shop.Half the photographers on the mountain probably use it."

"What about the printing itself?"Michael suggested."That level of quality—it had to be printed on professional equipment."

"Agreed."Sheila set the photo down."Tommy, what photo labs do we have in the area?"

"Three in town," he said, flipping through his notebook."Plus the resort's own photo center."

"Four possibilities," Sheila mused."And that's assuming our killer didn't print it at home.Professional photo printers aren't cheap, but they're not impossible to get."

"We could check recent purchases," Tommy said.

"Good thought, but too broad a net.Half the professional photographers in Utah probably bought new equipment in the past year."

"What about fingerprints?"

"We can call the lab, have them send someone over, but I'm not optimistic.The way this was all staged shows extreme attention to detail.I doubt our killer would be so careless as to leave fingerprints."

They were all silent for a few moments.

"He's showing off," Tommy said suddenly.

Sheila turned to him."What makes you say that?"

"The composition, the quality, the careful handling—it's like a gallery submission.He wants us to appreciate his work."

Sheila was about to respond when her phone buzzed.Mrs.Jacobs' name lit up the screen.The elderly woman lived next door and had been keeping an eye on Star since Sheila took guardianship of the girl.

"Sorry, I need to take this," Sheila said, stepping away from the desk."Mrs.Jacobs?"

"Sheila, dear."The older woman's voice carried its usual warmth, but something else lurked beneath."I hate to bother you at work, but I'm a bit concerned about Star."

Sheila's stomach tightened."What happened?"

"Well, with your heating being out, I offered to have her stay here until it's fixed.But she seemed quite upset.Said she was going to study with friends instead."Mrs.Jacobs paused."She seemed...off.Not herself.I hate to make accusations, but I have the strange feeling she was lying to me."

"Did she say specifically where they were going?"

"No, just that they had a warm place to study.Sheila..."Mrs.Jacobs hesitated."I know how hard you're trying with her.And she's such a good girl, really.But sometimes I worry she's feeling a bit lost.Especially with you working so much, and now Finn being in the hospital..."

"I know," Sheila said, guilt churning in her stomach."I'll talk to her tonight.Thank you for looking out for her, Margaret."

"Of course, dear.You know I'm always here if either of you need anything."

Sheila ended the call and rubbed her forehead.What was going on with Star?Though Sheila knew she'd made the right choice in becoming Star's guardian, there were times when she doubted she was the right person for the job.Work so often left her feeling emotionally tapped out, and she knew Star needed more: needed her to be present, to be more than just the person who put a roof over her head.

But that was a problem for another time.

Sheila turned back to the desk, where Tommy was talking animatedly with Michael.

"Sheriff," Tommy said, eyes bright with excitement."I think we might have something.Michael was telling me about a local photographer, Oscar Wells.He's known for his dramatic winter shots, especially of wildlife in extreme conditions."

"He's good," Michael added."Got a cabin up near Eagle's Point.Takes the kind of photos you'd see in National Geographic."

"And," Tommy continued, "he's been complaining about social media influencers 'corrupting' real photography.According to Michael, he got into an argument with another ski photographer last month about staging shots."

Sheila picked up the photo of Bradley again.The composition did feel professional—not the work of an amateur or casual killer.

---