Page 20 of Silent Trail

Reagan's anger, simmering up until this moment, began to boil at such callous indifference toward others. Soon enough, Reagan thought, you'll realize how your decisions affect others.

Reagan's breaths grew shallower with each step, keeping a careful eye on Ami as she continued to weave through the campus. Reagan's mind raced with thoughts of retribution, each scenario darker and more satisfying than the last.

Suddenly, Ami looked up from her phone, scanning the area around her. She took a sharp turn off the main path, opting for a shortcut through a smaller, more secluded park on campus.

Perfect, Reagan thought, smiling. You're every bit as predictable as I'd hoped you'd be. Now, there will be no one to hear you scream.

Ami strolled deeper into the park, still engrossed in her phone. The trees loomed overhead, their branches forming a canopy that filtered the fading sunlight, casting eerie patterns on the ground. Reagan's steps grew more purposeful, closing the distance with Ami, anticipation building with each stride.

Ami seemed completely unaware of the danger that stalked her, her every step taking her farther from the safety of the crowded campus and deeper into the secluded park. The muffled sounds of laughter and conversation vanished, replaced by the rhythmic chirping of crickets and the occasional distant car horn.

Thoughts of humiliation, betrayal, and countless sleepless nights spent plotting revenge swirled around in Reagan's mind like a tempest, driving Reagan forward with unwavering resolve.

Did she think she could get away with it? Does she even realize the depths of pain she's caused?

As Ami continued walking, still engrossed in her phone, Reagan took advantage of her distraction to move within striking distance. Reagan's heart pounded like a war drum, drowning out the soothing sounds of rustling leaves and the distant murmur of the nearby creek.

You're mine now, Reagan thought, fingers reaching into a pocket and fondling the knife concealed there. All mine.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

As Sheila pulled up a browser and entered the address of Coldwater Community College's official website, she rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off the fatigue accumulated from hours spent scouring the school's security footage.

Don't lose focus now, she told herself. Not when you're so close.

When the website appeared, she clicked on the athletics tab. A new page materialized, displaying various sports teams. After selecting the wrestling team, she noticed several things: a team photo, individual headshots, and a schedule of upcoming events.

"Okay, let's compare these faces with the one we have on the security footage," she said, her meticulous nature driving her to leave no stone unturned.

She pulled up the grainy image of the suspect on a separate window. The blurry face stared back at them, her features tantalizingly vague. Sheila then began the painstaking process of comparing each team member's face with the suspect's, scrutinizing every detail.

"She could be any of them," Finn said doubtfully. "There's simply not enough detail to go on."

Despite Finn's doubts and despite the limitations of the security footage, Sheila's keen eye for observation picked up on subtle similarities between their suspect and one of the wrestlers.

"Wait, look at this one," she said, pointing to a particular headshot. "There's something about her eyes and jawline that matches our suspect. I feel certain of it."

Finn squinted at the screen, his brow furrowing in concentration. "I suppose it's possible. Hard to be sure, though. But if you're confident..."

Sheila scrolled down the webpage, her heart pounding in anticipation. And there it was, the girl's name written in bold letters beneath her picture.

"Jade Larson," Sheila whispered, feeling her heart rate spike at the breakthrough. "We've got a name, Finn."

"Nice work, Sheila," Finn said, a proud smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Now how do we find her?"

Sheila's fingers tapped eagerly on the keyboard as she searched for Jade Larson on various social media platforms. She found a Facebook profile first, and her eyes immediately scanned through the posts, looking for any relevant information.

"Looks like she's studying sports medicine," Sheila said. "And she's pretty active in the wrestling community."

"Anything that connects her to Kristen Lee?" Finn asked, his voice tense with anticipation.

As they scrolled further down Jade's timeline, Sheila noticed pictures of her participating in various wrestling events and hanging out with friends. Sheila's trained eye caught sight of a familiar face in one of the group photos.

"Wait, that's Lila Hartlett!" Finn said, pointing to the girl standing next to Jade, their arms wrapped around each other.

Sheila stared at Lila's familiar face. They had interviewed her just a few short hours ago. The question was, how well did these two know one another? Was it possible that this Jade Larson had gotten back at Kristen for hazing Lila? Was it possible Jade and Lila were in it together?

She began digging deeper, searching for any interactions between the two girls that might reveal more about their relationship. She soon discovered a series of public message threads between Jade and Lila that seemed to span months. Their conversations covered a wide range of topics, from discussing their shared love of sitcoms to venting about the stresses of college life.

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