Page 37 of Silent Night

"Keep looking," Sheila urged, her voice tense with the weight of the situation. "There has to be something here that connects Salvation Springs to the killer."

Finn's fingers continued to dance across the keyboard, his eyes scanning the screen with the precision of a hawk. Sheila could feel her heart rate increasing as the anticipation built within her.

"Wait," Finn muttered, pausing for a moment. "I have an idea."

He opened a browser and navigated to the history tab. As he scrolled through the list, Sheila's heart sank with each disturbing search entry they came across.

"Look at this," Finn said. "'Best ways to hide a body.' And here: 'how salt affects decomposition.'"

Sheila's mind raced as she tried to process the chilling information before her. The cold realization that someone at Salvation Springs had been researching such sinister topics sent shivers down her spine.

"Keep going," Natalie said. "What else is there?"

"Let's see," Finn muttered, scrolling farther down the list. "'How to clean bloodstains from clothing and surfaces,' 'the most lethal poisons and how to obtain them,' and…'psychology behind serial killers.'"

The room seemed to close in around them as the weight of the discoveries settled heavily upon their shoulders. It was clear now that they were closer than ever to the truth, but the path forward was fraught with danger.

"Alright," Sheila said, trying to keep her voice steady. "We need to gather all the evidence we can from these searches without alerting whoever did this. Can you save the search history and any related files, Finn?"

"Of course," Finn replied, his fingers flying deftly across the keys once more.

"Good," Natalie said. "Because as soon as you're done with that, we need to go pay Pastor Walden another visit."

CHAPTER TWENTY

As the unmarked police car pulled into the gravel parking lot of Salvation Springs, Sheila's eyes were drawn to a familiar station wagon. Pastor David Walden was here again, just as she had suspected.

The question is, she thought, what's he up to?

The early morning sun cast long shadows across the cracked asphalt, and the church loomed over them like an ancient guardian. A second vehicle, a small red sports car with a dented bumper, caught her attention. Who could it belong to? The next victim? She felt a shiver crawl up her spine, the hairs on her arms standing on end.

"Alright," Natalie said, her voice steady and authoritative. "Here's the plan. We're going in there, bringing Walden back for questioning, and confiscating his computer." Her eyes met Sheila's, determination shining through. "I don't expect he'll give us any problems, but there's no telling what might happen once he realizes we're onto him. So keep your eyes peeled, okay?"

"Got it," Sheila replied, her gaze lingering on the church's heavy wooden doors. She tried to shake off the sense of foreboding that threatened to consume her. Every nerve in her body seemed to be buzzing, a mix of excitement and fear.

Sheila and Natalie got out of the van and joined Finn, who'd driven separately. As they moved toward the church, they passed the second vehicle parked in the lot. It was a small, bright red hatchback with a dreamcatcher hanging from the rearview mirror and a bumper sticker about world hunger on the back. The car's youthful appearance made Sheila wonder if the owner was a young woman. She felt an uneasy shiver run down her spine as she considered the possibility that Walden could be the killer and that whoever drove this car might be his next victim.

"Stay sharp," Natalie said, her voice low and steady. Sheila nodded, her heart pounding in her chest as they approached the front door of Salvation Springs Church.

The morning air was still, heavy with anticipation as they stood before the wooden entrance. Sheila reached up to knock, her knuckles rapping against the door three times. The sound was sharp in the quiet morning, but there was no response from within the church. No footsteps approaching, no voices calling out in surprise or confusion.

"Should we try again?" Sheila asked, glancing at Natalie and Finn. Her sister gave a slight nod, eyes fixed on the door.

Finn reached for the door handle, his fingers wrapping around the cold metal. He twisted it, but the door remained stubbornly shut. Locked. Sheila's heart clenched in her chest as her mind raced with possibilities. Why would the church be locked? Was someone trying to hide something?

"Police!" he shouted, banging on the door with a force that made the wood tremble. "Open up!"

Still, no response came from within. The silence was oppressive, weighing down on them like a heavy fog.

"Sheila, Finn," Natalie said, her voice strained with concern. "Why don't you two go around and look for another entrance? But be careful."

Sheila nodded, feeling a familiar rush of adrenaline as she prepared herself for the unknown. She glanced at Finn, his jaw set in determination, and they began to make their way around the church.

The morning sun cast long shadows across the church's brick exterior, its arched windows framed by creeping ivy. The beauty of the building seemed a stark contrast to the dark secrets they hoped to uncover within. As they walked, Sheila couldn't help but notice how ancient the structure appeared—a testament to the generations who had sought solace and guidance within its walls.

Sheila and Finn approached a weathered door at the back of the church, its paint peeling off in large flakes, revealing the gray wood beneath. The area was overgrown with neglected shrubs and weeds, casting eerie shadows on the ground. It was apparent that this door hadn't been used in quite some time.

"Let's try this one," Finn said, reaching for the rusty doorknob. He twisted it, but it didn't budge. "Locked," he muttered, frustration lining his voice.

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