Silent Neighbor (Sheila Stone #9)

CHAPTER FOUR

Sheila watched intently as the rescue team worked carefully to lower the victim's body from its macabre perch. The process was painstakingly slow, exacerbated by the oppressive heat that intensified as the morning wore on.

Finn stood beside her, his eyes never leaving the descending form. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing," he murmured. "The rope work is intricate, professional even."

Sheila nodded, mentally working through the implications. "A fellow climber, maybe. That seems to be the most obvious possibility, at least for now."

As the body finally reached the ground, Dr. Jin Zihao stepped forward, his crisp white shirt standing out against the rusty hues of the surrounding landscape. He knelt beside the victim and began his preliminary examination.

Sheila and Finn approached, careful not to disturb any potential evidence. Up close, the reality of the situation hit Sheila anew. The victim was young, probably in his late twenties or early thirties. His body bore the telltale signs of a catastrophic fall—broken limbs, visible trauma. Yet there was something almost peaceful about his expression, as if death, terrible as it was, had come mercifully fast.

"What can you tell us, Doc?" Finn asked, his voice low.

Dr. Zihao looked up, his mismatched eyes sharpening. "As I suspected, cause of death appears to be consistent with a fall from a significant height. Multiple fractures, internal injuries—the impact would have been instantly fatal."

Sheila frowned, studying the victim's attire. He was dressed in high-quality climbing gear, the kind favored by serious enthusiasts. "He looks like he knew what he was doing. Experienced climber, from the looks of it."

"Indeed," Dr. Zihao agreed. "The musculature and callouses on his hands suggest someone who climbed regularly. This was no novice who got in over his head."

Sheila was about to respond when the sound of an approaching vehicle caught her attention. A car was speeding toward them, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. It screeched to a halt at the perimeter they'd established, and before anyone could react, a woman burst out.

"Jake!" she screamed, her voice raw with anguish. "Oh God, Jake!"

Two officers moved to intercept her, but she was faster than they anticipated. She ducked under the crime scene tape and sprinted toward the body. Sheila reacted instinctively, stepping into the woman's path and catching her before she could reach the victim.

"Ma'am, please," Sheila said, holding the distraught woman back. "You can't be here. This is an active crime scene."

The woman struggled against Sheila's grip, her eyes wild with grief and shock. "That's Jake! That's my Jake! Please, I need to see him!"

Sheila maintained her hold, her voice softening. "I understand you're upset, but I need you to calm down. We can't let you contaminate the scene. Please, take a deep breath and talk to me. What's your name?"

The fight seemed to drain out of the woman all at once. She sagged in Sheila's arms, her body wracked with sobs. "M-Maya," she managed between gasps. "Maya Wales. Jake... Jake Pearson is my boyfriend."

Sheila's heart clenched with sympathy. Nobody should have to see a loved one so broken.

"I'm so sorry, Maya," she said. "I know this is difficult, but I need you to come with me. We can't talk here."

Maya nodded weakly, allowing Sheila to guide her away from the body. Finn caught Sheila's eye and gave a small nod, silently communicating that he'd handle things here.

"Is there somewhere nearby we can go to talk?" Sheila asked Maya gently.

Maya wiped at her eyes, her breathing still uneven. "There's... there's a small park about ten minutes from here. Jake and I used to stop there sometimes after his climbs. It's usually pretty quiet."

***

The Desert Oasis Park was a small, hidden gem tucked away from the bustle of the city. Its winding paths were lined with drought-resistant plants and shaded by the occasional mesquite tree. At this hour, the park was nearly deserted, offering the privacy they needed.

Sheila and Maya sat on a secluded bench overlooking a small, man-made pond. The gentle sound of water from a nearby fountain provided a soothing backdrop, masking their conversation from any potential passersby.

Maya stared at the water, her eyes red-rimmed and unfocused. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, twisting a tissue into increasingly smaller pieces.

"Maya," Sheila finally began, her voice low and gentle, "I know this is incredibly difficult, but I need to ask you some questions about Jake. Can you tell me when was the last time you saw him?"

Maya blinked, seeming to come back to herself. "Two days ago," she said. "He left early yesterday morning to go climbing. It's... it was a regular thing for him. Solo climbs. I always worried, but he loved it so much."

"And you didn't hear from him after he left?"

Maya shook her head, a fresh tear sliding down her cheek. "No. I texted him a few times, called too, but... I thought maybe he was just out of cell range. It's not unusual out there. I only started to really worry when he didn't come home last night."

Sheila nodded, making notes in a small notebook. "Can you tell us a bit more about Jake? What did he do for a living? Any hobbies besides climbing?"

"He worked in IT," Maya said, a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "Some big tech company in the city—Reliance something or other. I forget. He was brilliant with computers."

She sighed. "But his real passion was adventure. Climbing, base jumping, extreme sports—anything that got his adrenaline pumping. I... I tried to get him to cut back. Told him it was too dangerous. But he always said he needed it, that his weekend adventures were what made his boring work-week bearable."

"Maya," Sheila said carefully, "I need to ask you something, and I want you to understand that we're exploring all possibilities here. Is there any reason you can think of why someone might want to harm Jake?"

Maya's eyes widened, the implication of Sheila's question sinking in. "Harm him? You mean... Do you think someone did this to him? On purpose?"

"We're not ruling anything out at this stage. Jake's death... there are some unusual circumstances that we need to investigate thoroughly."

Maya shook her head vehemently, fresh tears spilling over. "No, no. Jake didn't have any enemies. Everyone loved him. He was kind, generous. He volunteered at the animal shelter on weekends when he wasn't climbing. Who would want to hurt him?"

Sheila placed a comforting hand on Maya's arm. "We're going to figure this out, Maya. I promise you that. But I need your help. Can you think of anything unusual that happened recently? Any changes in Jake's behavior, new people in his life, anything at all?"

Maya was quiet for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I... I can't think of anything specific. He'd been a little more withdrawn lately, but I thought it was just stress from work. And there was that group..."

Sheila's ears perked up. "Group? What group?"

"Oh, it's this online thing," Maya said, waving a hand dismissively. "An extreme sports forum or something. Jake was always on it, talking to other adrenaline junkies. I knew that group was trouble."

"Why do you say it was trouble?"

Maya sighed, running a hand through her hair. "They were always pushing each other to do crazier and crazier things. It was like a competition to see who could take the biggest risks. Jake would come home sometimes, all excited about some new stunt someone had pulled off. I hated it. I kept telling him they were going to get him killed one day."

The irony of her words hung heavy in the air.

"Do you know the name of this group?" Sheila asked.

Maya shook her head. "No, sorry. Jake always just called it 'the forum.' But I'm sure it's still open on his computer at home. He was always logged in."

Sheila pursed her lips. "Mind if my partner and I come take a look at that computer?"