Page 32 of Silent Trail

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" she asked, her brows furrowed with worry. "Maybe you should stay in the van, just in case."

Natalie shook her head firmly, the glint of determination in her eyes unyielding. "I'm the sheriff, Sheila," she said. "I'm not going to hide while my deputies do the actual police work."

Sheila glanced at Finn, who was frowning as well, his own concern mirroring hers. She exhaled slowly, trying to let go of her anxiety. She couldn't force Natalie to stay behind any more than she could guarantee there would be no danger.

As the trio made their way toward the house, the stillness of the night seemed to press in around them. The only light came from the moon, casting eerie shadows across the manicured lawns that lined the street. Sheila felt as though they were intruding on some hidden world, where secrets were whispered between the rustling leaves and shadows danced beneath the watchful gaze of the moon.

Finn raised his hand and knocked on the door, the sound seeming to reverberate through the quiet neighborhood. They waited, but there was no response. He knocked again, louder this time, and Sheila noticed movement in one of the windows.

"Hey, I think I saw something," she whispered, moving closer to the window for a better look.

Just as she leaned in, a large, vicious-looking dog lunged at the glass, its snarls and barks muffled by the barrier between them. Sheila stumbled back, her heart pounding in her chest as adrenaline flooded her system.

"Damn it," she muttered, trying to catch her breath. "Didn't expect that."

A light flickered on the second floor, cutting through the darkness like a knife. The sound of footsteps creaking down the stairs reached Sheila's ears, and she tensed, her muscles coiled and ready to react. The front door slowly opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with disheveled hair and sleep-filled eyes. She wore a faded floral nightgown, and her expression displayed both confusion and irritation.

"Wha-what do you want?" she asked, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up fully.

"Mrs. Benedict?" Finn asked.

"Yes, that's me," the woman replied, her gaze darting among the trio of officers.

"We're looking for your son, Kyle," Finn continued, watching as the woman's eyes narrowed defensively.

"Kyle?" She took a long look at Finn's uniform and crossed her arms. "What do you want with him?"

"We just need to ask him some questions. Is he home?"

The woman hesitated, studying Finn skeptically. "You show up here, late at night, and demand to see my son—"

"We're not trying to make any demands, ma'am. We just need to—"

"And you won't even explain what it's about?" Mrs. Benedict turned to Sheila as if hoping that she at least might be reasonable. "Is this how you operate? Why didn't you come by earlier?"

It was clear that it wasn't easy for Mrs. Benedict to talk about her son. She seemed protective of him, which fit with his history of bullying. Perhaps she thought the police were out to get him, too.

"Ma'am," Sheila said patiently, hoping to defuse the tension, "we're more than happy to explain why we're here. I'm not sure if you're aware, but there was a recent incident at a party during which Kyle was tied to a tree by some other college students."

At the mention of the incident, Mrs. Benedict's face contorted with anger, her features hardening as she clenched her fists at her sides. "Those girls had no right to treat my son like that!" she said, her voice quivering with indignation. "Just because he prefers computers to sports or chasing after girls doesn't mean he deserves to be humiliated!"

Sheila couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the woman; it was clear how much she cared for her son. "It's not right what they did to Kyle," she said. "He shouldn't have been targeted like that."

"Exactly!" Mrs. Benedict said, her passion evident. "My boy is brilliant; he's going to change the world someday. And those girls, they're just...just..." She struggled to find the words, her anger momentarily rendering her speechless.

"They're monsters," she finally finished, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And they deserve to be punished."

Sheila hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "That's the thing, Mrs. Benedict. Both of those girls are dead. Murdered."

Mrs. Benedict's face drained of color, and she looked as though she might collapse. Her eyes widened with shock, and she stared at Sheila with a mixture of disbelief and horror. "You don't think..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "You don't think Kyle had anything to do with it, do you?"

"Ma'am, we just need to talk to him," Finn said.

Natalie, who had remained silent so far during the exchange, spoke up. "Is Kyle home right now, Mrs. Benedict?"

"Y-yes," she stammered, still reeling from the revelation. "He's in the basement. I can take you there."

"Thank you," Natalie said. Mrs. Benedict opened the door wider and stepped back, allowing the officers to enter.

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