Page 14 of Silent Trail

"Todd, I'm serious," Sophie was saying, playfully nudging her companion. "You should try out for the drama club. You'd be amazing!"

"Really?" Todd asked skeptically, his eyes lighting up with a mixture of hope and disbelief. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," she said, a wicked smile spreading across her face like a spider weaving its web.

Reagan couldn't believe how easily Sophie manipulated those around her. It sickened Reagan. Soon enough, however, Sophie would pay.

Today, if Reagan could find a way to isolate the girl.

"Here we are," Sophie announced, pushing open the heavy wooden doors of the library. The hushed atmosphere inside enveloped them like a blanket, muffling the sounds of the outside world.

"It's like a graveyard in here," Todd said.

"Shh," Sophie scolded teasingly, placing a slender finger against her lips. "We don't want to disturb anyone. We have so much work to do."

The two giggled. As they made their way further into the library, Reagan kept close watch on them, expertly navigating the maze of towering bookshelves and blending seamlessly into the shadows.

"Over here, Todd," Sophie said, leading him toward a secluded corner nestled between two rows of ancient tomes. "This looks like a pretty good place, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes," Todd said. "Perfect." With that, he slipped his arms around Sophie and pressed his lips hungrily against hers.

Reagan watched with disgust as the two lost themselves in each other. For a moment, Reagan considered taking both of them—it would be fitting, wouldn't it, catching them at their most vulnerable? But no, Todd hadn't done anything wrong, other than being a selfish, immature idiot.

Sophie was the real prize.

But how was Reagan supposed to get to her if Todd wouldn't leave her alone?

The kissing intensified, and Sophie stole a look around to make sure they were alone. Reagan darted out of view, hiding behind a bookshelf. Did she see me? And if she did, would she have any idea why I'm here?

Suddenly this whole plan seemed far too risky, far too dangerous. Reagan was playing with fire, risking getting caught, and there was too much to do before that happened, if it happened at all.

Besides, even if she got past Todd, how would Reagan deal with all the police patrolling the campus? Maybe it would be better to go somewhere else.

Then Reagan had an idea.

I'll just have to leave for a while, come back for Sophie later when things have calmed down. In the meantime…

In the meantime, there were other campuses, other students.

Stealing one last glimpse at the kissing couple, Reagan stole away, hurrying between the bookshelves and heading toward the door.

So much to do, Reagan thought, and so little time.

CHAPTER SEVEN

"I thought we'd be able to search for these electronically," Sheila said, trying not to grow frustrated by the tedious task before them. She pulled out yet another out-of-place folder and set it aside. "Whoever 'organized' these files should go to jail."

The morning sun cast a soft glow through the blinds of the principal's office at Coldwater Community College. Sheila Stone stood with Finn Mercer, surrounded by towering metal cabinets filled to the brim with disciplinary records. She frowned, running her fingers along dusty files as she tried to locate anything related to Kristen Lee, whose lifeless body had been found in her locker just hours earlier that morning.

"Welcome to the thrilling world of police work," Finn said, his lips curving into a wry smile. "It's not always car chases and shootouts."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Sheila asked, shooting him a playful glare. She returned her focus to the pile in front of her, carefully scanning the labels on each file before setting them aside with increasing impatience.

The principal's office was spacious, yet cluttered. A large wooden desk dominated one corner, stacks of papers covering its polished surface. Various awards and certificates lined the walls, while diplomas hung proudly above the desk. The scent of stale coffee lingered in the air, mingling with the musty odor of well-worn leather from the chairs scattered around the room.

With the principal out addressing the worried students, Sheila and Finn were making use of the rare opportunity to sift through the confidential files. The principal had given them permission to do this (sneaking in here on their own would have been a significant breach of confidentiality, not to mention the fact that anything they found would not have been usable in a court of law), but he had insisted he could not join them, citing the need to "tend to" his students, a turn of phrase that, in Sheila's mind, made him sound like a shepherd looking after a flock of wandering sheep.

which might, she supposed, not be too far from the mark.

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