Silent Neighbor (Sheila Stone #9)

CHAPTER SEVEN

The rhythmic tapping of keys filled the small, cluttered office as Sheila and Finn watched the IT specialist work his magic. Dwayne Russo, a wiry man in his mid-thirties with thick-rimmed glasses and a perpetual five o'clock shadow, hunched over his keyboard, his eyes never leaving the screens before him.

The room, tucked away in the basement of the Coldwater County Sheriff's Department, was a testament to Dwayne's personality: organized chaos. Shelves lined with computer parts and tech manuals competed for space with action figures and vintage sci-fi posters. The air hummed with the sound of multiple computers running, and the faint scent of energy drinks lingered.

"Anything yet, Dwayne?" Finn asked, leaning against a cluttered desk.

Dwayne held up a finger, signaling for patience. "This PhoenixRising character is good," he muttered, more to himself than to the deputies. "They've bounced their IP through multiple servers. It's like trying to untangle a ball of yarn that a cat's been playing with."

Well, that was certainly a red flag. Why was this person trying so hard to conceal their identity? What secrets might they have?

Just then, Sheila's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen to see a text from Star: Can we talk when you get home? It's important.

A knot of worry formed in Sheila's stomach. Star, the fourteen-year-old girl who'd been staying with her since leaving her father's abusive home, was still adjusting to her new life. She probably felt just as much uncertainty about her future as Sheila did. Sheila, after all, hadn't planned on being roommates with a fourteen-year-old, but Star had been planning to live on 'the street' (whatever that meant), so…

She quickly typed back: Of course. Everything okay?

Star's response came almost immediately: Yeah. Just need to discuss something with you.

Well, that's ominous, Sheila thought.

Was Star unhappy living with her? Did she want to move in with a relative? The thought brought a mix of relief and unexpected sadness. Sheila liked Star, but she knew she wasn't equipped to be a full-time guardian, not with the demands of her job. Still, the idea of Star leaving made her heart ache.

Star had only been staying with her for a few days, but those days had been a whirlwind of emotions and adjustments for both of them. On one hand, Sheila had found unexpected joy in the girl's presence. Star's resilience in the face of her traumatic past was inspiring, and her quiet determination to rebuild her life touched Sheila deeply. There were moments of genuine connection—like when they cooked dinner together, Star eagerly learning new recipes, or when they sat on the porch in the evenings, talking about Star's dreams for the future.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Star's past trauma manifested in ways Sheila wasn't always prepared to handle. She'd had several nightmares, screaming during the night and waking Sheila up, leaving both of them exhausted by morning. Star's moods could swing rapidly, from quiet contentment to sudden, inexplicable anger or withdrawal. Sheila often felt out of her depth, unsure if she was saying or doing the right things to help the girl heal.

There were also the everyday challenges of living with a teenager—arguments about having friends over, negotiations over phone usage, and the constant struggle to keep the house stocked with enough food for a growing girl. Sheila had found herself googling "how to parent a teenager" more times than she cared to admit.

Despite these difficulties, Sheila had to admit that having Star around had brought a new dimension to her life. The house felt less empty, more alive. Star's presence gave Sheila a sense of purpose beyond her work, a reminder that there was more to life than solving cases.

"Problem?" Finn asked, noticing her distraction.

Sheila shook her head. "Not sure. Star wants to talk about something when I get home."

Finn's expression softened. He knew how complicated the situation with Star was. "I'm sure it's fine. You've been great with her."

Before Sheila could respond, Dwayne let out a frustrated groan. "This is more complicated than I expected," he said, swiveling in his chair to face them. "Whoever this PhoenixRising is, they're using some serious encryption. It's going to take time to crack this."

"How much time?" Sheila asked, trying to keep the impatience from her voice.

Dwayne shrugged. "Hard to say. Could be hours, could be days. I'll keep at it, but you might want to pursue other leads in the meantime."

Sheila and Finn exchanged a look. They'd been hoping for a quick breakthrough, but it seemed the digital trail was going to be a dead end, at least for now.

"Alright, Dwayne," Sheila said, straightening up. "Keep us posted if you find anything."

As they left the office, Finn turned to Sheila. "So, where to now?"

Sheila's brow furrowed in thought. "We need to think about this logically. Whoever killed Jake Pearson isn't just a murderer—they're an extremely skilled climber. To get his body up that cliff face, they'd need to be experienced with ropes, harnesses, the whole nine yards."

Finn nodded, following her train of thought. "So we're looking for someone in the climbing community. Someone with the skills to pull this off."

"Exactly," Sheila said. "And I think I know where we might start asking questions. The Vertical Limit."

"The climbing gym downtown?" Finn asked.

Sheila nodded. "If anyone knows about skilled climbers in the area with a grudge against him, that's where we'll find out."

***

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up outside the Vertical Limit. The building was an old converted warehouse, its industrial exterior now adorned with colorful murals depicting mountainous landscapes and climbers in action. Through the large windows, Sheila could see climbers scaling the towering walls inside, their movements a graceful dance against gravity.

Before getting out of the car, Sheila checked her phone, re-reading the messages from Star, mentally speculating about what Star might want to discuss. Then, with a deliberate effort, she shoved such questions to the back of her mind and climbed out of the vehicle.

As Sheila and Finn entered the gym, the sound of rock music hit them, mixed with the chatter of climbers and the occasional shout of encouragement. The air was thick with the scent of chalk and sweat. Climbers of all ages moved about, some strapping on harnesses, others chalking their hands in preparation for their next ascent.

Sheila scanned the room, looking for an employee. Her eyes landed on a young woman at the front desk, her attention divided between a computer screen and a line of waiting customers.

"Excuse me," Sheila said as they approached, flashing her badge. "I'm Deputy Stone, and this is Deputy Mercer. We need to speak with someone about Jake Pearson."

The young woman shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but as you can see, we're swamped right now. Is there any way you could come back later?"

Finn stepped forward, his voice low and urgent. "Ma'am, we're investigating Jake's death. Any information you have could be crucial."

A shadow crossed the woman's face. "His death? I had no idea…" She trailed off, glancing worriedly at the growing line of impatient customers. Then, after a moment, she cleared her throat and called over her shoulder, "Zack! Can you cover the desk for a few minutes?"

A lanky teenager with a mop of curly hair appeared, looking slightly overwhelmed as he took in the line. The woman turned back to Sheila and Finn. "I'm Alexis," she said. "Let's talk in the office."

She led them to a small room off the main climbing area, closing the door behind them to muffle the noise from outside. Alexis perched on the edge of a cluttered desk, her expression grave. The young woman's arms were toned and muscular, her hands calloused—clearly an experienced climber herself.

"What happened to Jake?" she asked.

"His body was found in the Valley of the Gods this morning," Sheila said, deliberately avoiding any insinuation that he may have been murdered.

Alexis shook her head sadly. "That's terrible. Still, occupational hazards and all…"

"How well did you know him?" Sheila asked.

Alexis shrugged. "He was a regular here. Always pushing himself, always looking for the next big challenge…" She trailed off again, clearly distracted by the news about Jake's death.

"Did Jake have any enemies here?" Finn asked. "Anyone who might have had a grudge against him?"

"Enemies?" Alexis looked troubled. "Why is that relevant? Do you think someone killed him?"

Sheila and Finn said nothing. Alexis shook her head in disbelief.

"This is… incredible," she said. "Insane. Who would want to harm him?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Sheila said. "Any information you can give us would be helpful."

Alexis bit her lip, hesitating. Sheila could see she was wrestling with something. The young woman's eyes darted to the door, then back to the deputies.

"I'm not really comfortable talking about other climbers," she said, her voice tight. "We're like a family here. It doesn't feel right to gossip, especially now."

Sheila leaned forward. "Alexis, I understand your loyalty to your community. That's admirable. But this isn't gossip—this is a murder investigation. If Jake was part of your climbing family, doesn't that give you extra motivation to get justice for him?"

Alexis shifted uncomfortably. "Of course it does, but—"

"Look," Sheila interrupted, her tone softening. "We're not here to cause trouble for anyone. We just want to understand what happened to Jake. Anything you know, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, could help us find who did this to him."

Alexis still looked uncertain. Sheila decided to try a different approach.

"Think about Jake's family, Alexis. His loved ones. They're suffering right now, trying to make sense of this tragedy. You have the power to help them find closure. Wouldn't you want someone to do the same for you if you were in their shoes?"

This seemed to strike a chord with Alexis. Her resolve visibly wavered.

"We're not asking you to accuse anyone," Finn added. "We just need to know if there were any conflicts, any tensions that might help us understand what led to this."

Alexis was quiet for a long moment, her internal struggle evident on her face. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"There was someone," she said in a low voice. "An instructor Jake used to work with when he first started climbing seriously a few years ago. Marcus Holbrook."

" Used to work with?" Finn asked.

Alexis nodded, glancing nervously at the door as if afraid someone might overhear. "They had a falling out. A big one. Marcus is... well, he's kind of infamous around here for being a stickler for safety. Which is good, don't get me wrong. But Jake... he liked to push boundaries."

Sheila leaned forward, curious. "What kind of falling out?"

"I don't know all the details," Alexis said. "But I overheard them arguing one day. Marcus was furious, said Jake was going to get himself or someone else killed if he didn't start taking safety seriously. Jake just laughed it off, said Marcus needed to lighten up. After that, they stopped working together. Marcus refused to instruct Jake anymore."

Sheila and Finn exchanged a look. This was the first solid lead they'd had. "Is Marcus working today?" Sheila asked. "We'd like to talk to him."

Alexis shook her head. "No, he called in sick last night. Said he had a bad case of food poisoning or something."

The timing sent up a red flag in Sheila's mind. "Does Marcus call in sick often?"

"Almost never," Alexis said. "He's usually the first one here and the last to leave. That's part of why it was so weird when he called in."