Page 45 of Silent Road

The afternoon sunlight had softened the snow, making each step precarious as they climbed.Diana Pierce led the way, her usual confident stride replaced by something more hesitant.She kept looking over her shoulder as if expecting to see someone following them.

"There."She pointed to a cluster of snow-laden pines."Mark liked to use those trees as a backdrop.Said they framed his jumps perfectly."

"You used to work with him?"Tommy asked, scanning the area.

"Taught him some of his first tricks."Diana's voice was flat."Back when he was just a rich kid with a GoPro, not an 'influencer.'"She made air quotes with her gloved hands.

"Stay close," Sheila warned as Star started to drift toward the trees.The girl had been uncharacteristically quiet since they'd watched the video, her earlier excitement about investigative work dampened by the reality of what they might find.

They spread out in a practiced search pattern.The slope was empty—the resort had closed this section "for maintenance" at Sheila's request.She was working on getting them to shut the entire resort down, but there was some pushback for the typical reason—loss of business.It seemed a silly reason, however.

How many people did they think really wanted to ski at a resort where two murders had taken place within the past few days?

As they walked, she turned her attention to Diana."How well did you know Mark?"she asked.The only sounds were their breathing and the distant hum of a snowmaking machine.

"Well enough."Diana kicked at a drift."Well enough to know he was changing.Getting reckless.These stunts he's been doing lately..."She shook her head."It was only a matter of time before—"

"Sheriff!"Tommy's voice cut through the cold air.He stood at the edge of the tree line, pointing at something in the snow.

Sheila's heart clenched as they converged on his position.Had Tommy found Mark's body?But instead, what she saw was a section of churned-up snow.A single ski pole lay half-buried, its strap torn.There was also a deep impression in the snow, as if someone had fallen down.

Mark?Or maybe he'd shoved his attacker down before running away?

"He fought back," Tommy said quietly, photographing the scene.

Star hugged herself, suddenly looking very young."Is that...blood?"

"Looks that way," Sheila murmured.Then, noticing a smaller impression in the snow, she reached down.Her hand came up, holding a cell phone.

"That's Mark's," Diana said with a hard swallow.

Sheila stood, following the signs of struggle with her eyes as she slipped the phone into an evidence bag.Two sets of footprints led away from the scene—one stumbling, irregular, the other steady and purposeful.As if one person—Mark, presumably—had run on ahead in haste, and a second person had come after, taking his time.Unhurried.

Confident.

The tracks disappeared into the dense trees, heading east, away from the marked trails.

"We need backup," Tommy said, already reaching for his radio."Search and Rescue, dogs—"

"Wait."Diana had gone very still, staring at the footprints."I know where they're going."

"How could you possibly—"

"Because there's only one thing east of here," Diana said."The old maintenance shed.The one they closed after the avalanche ten years ago."She turned to Star."I want you to go back to the base with Diana."

"But—"

"This isn't a discussion."She met the girl's eyes."Please.Just this once, do what I ask."

Maybe it was her tone, or maybe something in her face, but Star didn't argue.She just nodded, looking small against the vast white of the mountain.

Sheila checked her weapon, then her radio.Somewhere ahead, through the trees, Mark Davidson was either alive or dead.

And someone was about to answer for what they'd done.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Sheila and Tommy went on for a while in silence, their breath pluming before them.The path led steadily upward.From what Sheila could tell, it appeared that one person had raced ahead, stumbling through the snow, while the second had followed a slower, more methodical pace.

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