Page 42 of Silent Road

Hunter barely glanced at it."No."

"Really?Because it matches the serial number of one reported stolen from a guest's room three weeks ago."She slid another photo across."And this lens?Reported missing last month."

Color drained from Hunter's face.

While Hunter was being processed and booked, Sheila and Tommy had been busy.A quick check of resort incident reports revealed six separate complaints about missing camera equipment over the past four months.They'd contacted each guest, obtained serial numbers and detailed descriptions.Every single item in Hunter's locker matched something from those reports.The resort had initially written off the incidents as guests misplacing their belongings or making false claims for insurance—until now.

"Here's what I think," Sheila continued."I think you've been stealing from guests.High-end camera equipment is perfect—expensive, easily resold, and most tourists don't discover it's missing until they're back home.By then, it could be anywhere."

"I want a lawyer," Hunter repeated, but his voice had lost its edge.

"We're going to find out anyway," Tommy added."We'll match every piece of equipment to theft reports.We'll trace your online sales.We'll talk to your buyers.The only question is whether you help us now or we figure it out without you."

Hunter's careful facade finally crumbled."Okay!Okay."He buried his face in his hands."I've been stealing stuff.Not just cameras.Laptops, tablets, anything I can flip quickly.I have a contact in Denver who buys the gear, no questions asked."

"And the memory cards we found?"Sheila pressed.

"Came with the cameras.I never even looked at them."He laughed bitterly."Stupid to keep them, I know.But I figured they might be worth something to the owners.Personal photos and all that."

"Where were you two nights ago?"Tommy's question came sharp and sudden.

Hunter's head snapped up."What?"

"Two nights ago."

"I was..."Hunter frowned."I was at the Red Door.In town.It was my friend Mike's birthday.We were there until closing."

"The Red Door closes at two," Sheila said.

"Yeah, and then we went back to Mike's place.Played poker until sunrise.There were like eight people there.You can ask any of them."

"And last night?"

"Work.I closed the bar.You can check the schedules, the security cameras, whatever you want."Hunter leaned forward."Listen, I know I messed up with the stealing.I know I'm in trouble for that.But I swear to God, I don't know anything about any murders."

Sheila studied him carefully.The desperation in his voice rang true, and the way he'd immediately offered up witnesses suggested he was telling the truth.A guilty person would have needed time to construct alibis.Hunter was giving them too many people to check, too many ways to verify his story.

The perfect evidence they'd thought they'd found was anything but perfect.

"Write it all down," she said, sliding a legal pad across the table."Every theft, every fence, every buyer.Names, dates, items.Everything."

"What about..."Hunter gestured vaguely at himself.

"Write your statement," Tommy said, standing."We'll be back."

Sheila and Tommy left the room.Tommy closed the interrogation room door behind them."You buying it?"he asked.

"Unfortunately, yes."Sheila leaned against the wall, suddenly exhausted."He's too specific with the alibis.A guilty person would have been vaguer, given themselves more wiggle room."

"I'll start checking the alibis out."

"Eight people at a poker game?"Sheila shook her head."If even half of them confirm his story, that's more than enough reasonable doubt."

"Sheila!"Star bounded up to them, practically bouncing."Is he the killer?Did he confess?I heard him yelling about something!"

Sheila caught Tommy hiding a smile."What happened to staying in the break room?"she asked.

"I got bored.Besides, Tommy said I could get a soda from the machine out here."Star turned to Tommy."So?Is he the murderer?"

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