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Together, they approached the tree house.The wooden ladder leading up to it was weathered and covered in moss, but something about it caught Sheila's attention.
"Look at this," she said, examining a series of fresh scuff marks on the lower rungs of the ladder."Someone's been up there recently."
"Could be that Max or Lily poked around up here recently," Finn said, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his tone.
"Look at the size of the marks," Sheila said."Those have got to be...what...size ten shoes?Max's feet aren't that big, and neither are Lily's."
"So their dad came up here.Maybe he was just curious, wanted to see if he could do anything with the place."
"Maybe," Sheila murmured, unconvinced.She felt a strange connection with the victims, an overwhelming need to uncover the truth and bring their killer to justice.And right now, her instincts were screaming at her that this tree house held some answers.
Pulling out his phone, Finn took pictures of the rungs.It didn't look like there was much chance of getting shoe impressions from the rungs, but there was no harm in documenting the evidence.
"I'm going to head up there and take a look around," Sheila said when he'd finished."Just to see if there are any recent signs of activity."
"Be careful," Finn warned, watching her ascent with a mix of concern and admiration.Sheila might not have had his years of police experience, but she was fearless.
Sheila hoisted herself up, her toned muscles easily propelling her into the tree house.Its cramped interior was dim, lit only by a few slivers of sunlight that managed to sneak through the gaps between the wooden planks.The walls were adorned with faded posters of rock bands and superheroes, remnants of a childhood long gone.A thick layer of dust coated everything, disturbed only by her entrance.
"Find anything?"Finn asked from below, his voice muffled by the tree house's insulating confines.
"Nothing much," Sheila replied, wiping the dust from her hands onto her jeans.Her eyes scanned the small space, eventually landing on a cracked window that offered an unobstructed view of the Hubbard residence."But there's this window...I can see the whole house from here.It's possible the killer watched them from this spot."
"Interesting theory, but we still need something solid," Finn said, sounding restless."Let's head back inside and keep searching."
"One minute," Sheila said, taking one last look at the tree house's interior before preparing to leave.
Maybe Finn was right,she thought, growing discouraged.Maybe Roy came up here, took a look around, and left.There's certainly no sign of—
Just then, her keen eyes caught a glimpse of something carved into one of the boards in the corner of the room.It was a crude, child-like drawing of the four members of the Hubbard family gathered together around a tree surrounded by gravestones.
And there were nooses around their necks.
CHAPTER SEVEN
"I just can't believe he's dead," Eddie said."Roy was such a good guy.Who would want to do this to him and his family?"
"That's what we're trying to find out," Sheila said, saddened to have to deliver such terrible news to Eddie, who had worked with Roy at TechWave, a Seattle-based company whose staff had increased tenfold since Roy joined its ranks fifteen years earlier.Sheila was hoping Eddie might be able to provide insight into Roy's life, perhaps helping her understand why someone had singled out Roy and his family.
In the silence that followed, Sheila's eyes wandered over the small study, taking in the organized chaos of Roy Hubbard's workspace.Books on computer programming and software development lined the shelves, while scattered papers and sticky notes covered the wooden desk.The pungent smell of coffee lingered in the air, a testament to the countless late nights spent working here.The room felt strangely intimate, as if Sheila was trespassing into a private sanctuary.
"Tell me about Techwave," she said to Eddie, hoping to glean any useful information from their time in Seattle."What did you two do there?"
"Well," Eddie began, his voice steady despite the shock of the news, "we were both software engineers.Roy was brilliant; he had this uncanny ability to find solutions to complex problems.It was no surprise when he was promoted to team lead."
"If his job was going so well, why'd he choose to move back here to Utah?Wouldn't it be easier to stay near the company's brick-and-mortar location?"
"In theory, yes," Eddie said."But Roy always talked about how much he missed Utah, especially after having kids.He wanted them to grow up surrounded by their extended family, you know?Plus, the cost of living in Seattle was getting out of hand.I remember him saying that he didn't want to raise his kids in such an expensive city."
Sheila could understand Roy's reasoning; her own upbringing in Coldwater had instilled in her a strong sense of community and family values.
"So eventually," Eddie went on, "he had a talk with the bosses and convinced them to let him work remotely.They didn't love the idea at first, but given how much he'd contributed to the company..."His pause was the verbal equivalent of a shrug.
"Did Roy have any problems with anyone at work?Any conflicts or disagreements we should know about?"
"Absolutely not," Eddie replied firmly."I can say without a doubt that Roy was one of the most well-liked people at TechWave.He was incredibly hardworking and humble, always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it.He was the kind of person who would stay late to help a colleague, even if it meant sacrificing his own personal time."
Sheila's heart sank at Eddie's words.It seemed that with every new piece of information they gathered, the motive behind the Hubbard family's murder only grew more elusive.The frustration was beginning to gnaw at her, but she knew that letting emotions cloud her judgment would be a mistake.She had to remain focused and vigilant.
