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Lila's hands trembled, a sparrow caught in the storm of her fear. "If they knew I was out there... digging," she whispered, "they'd ban me. From everything."
"Banishment," Rachel mused, her gaze unwavering. She could taste Lila's dread, bitter as old coffee. It seeped into the worn wood and cracked linoleum of the diner like a stain.
"From the community, from the land," Lila choked out, her voice creaking like an unoiled hinge. Her eyes darted away, finding solace in the shadows that clung to the corners of the room.
Rachel nodded, her mind skimming the surface of Lila's confession. "Explain. Why would you be banned?"
"I... I was panning," she said softly. "I know I need a lease. I know... I know, but I just... wanted to prove that there was gold up there. That's all!"
"I see," Rachel said softly.
"There are a lot of prospectors that come out here," Lila said hurriedly. "A lot. People get really... jealous if you don't play by the rules. But no one does!" she added defensively.
"Your secret's safe," Rachel assured her. "For now. I'm not here about mining regulations."
Lila exhaled a gust of relief. Her shoulders sank, the weight of the world briefly lifted.
"Did you notice anything unusual that night?" Rachel asked.
"Unusual?"
"Besides the body."
Lila's answer came hesitantly, a drip from a leaky faucet. "I saw... a red ATV. Parked up by the ridge."
Rachel's breath hitched softly.
"Red ATV," she repeated quietly, letting the syllables hang between them, heavy with implication. "Can't be too many of those around here," Rachel mused aloud, more to herself than to Lila.
Lila nodded, her fingers picking at the chipped Formica table, leaving smudges of nervous sweat in their wake. "What made it stand out to you?"
"Well," Lila began, her voice tinged with a mix of uncertainty and distant memory, "I just thought it was odd. This isn't exactly a place where you see a lot of vehicles like that. Plus, it was parked in such a way that it seemed like whoever was riding it didn't want to be seen."
"Did you happen to notice anything else? Any distinguishing features about the ATV or the person riding it?"
"No, nothing."
James Veely watched this conversation, his eyes moving back and forth. His Adam's apple bobbed as he realized he'd gained Rachel's attention, and he looked off, as if trying to divert it.
"Did you see anything?" she said.
James hesitated. "No. No, I... I wasn't there," he said, shooting his wife a quick look.
"So when did you call in the body?"
"Lila told me. I immediately placed the call."
"So you didn't see it?"
"No. Well, not at first."
"But later?"
"Only from a distance."
Rachel nodded, glancing between the Veely's. She had the sense they were telling the truth. Both of them seemed far too relieved now for it to be another fabrication.
"How... how did you spot my tracks?" Lila said suddenly.
