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"Did you ever meet Roy's family, Eddie?"she asked, her voice betraying the faintest hint of desperation.
"Yeah, I did," Eddie replied, a sudden warmth entering his tone."We had a company picnic last summer, and Roy brought his family along.He even brought a stereo and played a CD from his old high school band—the Black Jesters, I think they were called."He chuckled."They were terrible."
Sheila said nothing, waiting for Eddie to get back to the subject.
"Anyway," Eddie continued, "his family was wonderful.Jane was so kind, always making sure everyone was having a good time.And the kids, Max and Lily, they were just full of life, laughing and playing with the other children."
A heavy silence settled between them as the weight of what had been lost pressed down on both their hearts.Eddie's devastation was palpable, even over the phone.
"I just can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt them," he murmured, the words barely audible."It doesn't make any sense."
"Thank you, Eddie," Sheila said softly."I appreciate your help.If you think of anything else, please let us know."
"Of course," Eddie agreed, his voice breaking slightly."Take care."
As she hung up, Sheila turned to Finn, who was studying a wall of the small study intently, his brow furrowed in concentration.He must've just finished his call.
"Did you learn anything?"she asked.
Finn shook his head, frustration evident in the tight set of his jaw."Not much.Everyone I talked to seemed to genuinely care for the Hubbards.I couldn't find a single person who'd have a motive to target them."
Sheila sighed, rubbing her temples as if to ward off an impending headache."I came to the same conclusion.It's like we've hit a dead end."
Finn nodded, his gaze still fixed on the wall, and Sheila could see the gears turning in his mind, searching for any shred of evidence they might have missed.The room itself seemed to mock them with its normalcy—Roy Hubbard's small study was a testament to his quiet, unassuming life, filled with neatly arranged books and soft lamplight.
But why was Finn staring at the wall so...intently?
"What are you thinking?"she asked.
Finn pointed at a vent near the floor."I'm thinking we need to open that vent."
She looked at the vent.It looked like a regular HVAC vent for circulating air throughout the house.Nothing suspicious about that.
"Okay," she said slowly."And why exactly would we do that?"
"Because," he said, pulling out a pocket knife with practiced ease, "the scratches on the floor of the vent suggest something has been dragged across it back and forth.And also because I just like poking around."
He winked at her and, crouching down, used the blade to turn the screws holding the vent cover in place.There was a quiet determination in his movements, honed from years of combat experience.
As the last screw fell away, Finn carefully lifted the vent cover.Within the dark recesses of the vent, an unexpected glint caught their attention.
"Is that...a safe?"Sheila asked, surprise evident in her voice.
"Looks like it," Finn said, pulling on a pair of gloves before reaching into the vent.With a gentle tug, he pulled a small safe from the shadows.The metal box was unassuming, its dull gray surface marred only by the faintest layer of dust.It was clear that no one had tampered with it for quite some time.
"Interesting," Finn mused, studying the safe."If robbery was part of the reason for the murder of the Hubbards, the thief apparently didn't know where to look."
"Or they didn't have the time to search thoroughly," Sheila added, feeling a flicker of hope that this discovery might lead them closer to the truth.
Sheila watched Finn's brow furrow in concentration as he scanned the paper notes on Roy's desk, searching for any hint of the combination to the lock.For her own part, however, she wasn't particularly optimistic they'd find much of use from the safe – she was growing increasingly skeptical that robbery had been one of the killer's motives – and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were overlooking something crucial.
"Let me know if you figure it out," she said."I'm going to take another look around outside, make sure we didn't miss anything."
Finn nodded without glancing up, his attention on the desk.
With a determined stride, Sheila headed outside.The sun beat down mercilessly upon her as she walked, casting sharp, angular shadows across the yard.The flower garden seemed to beckon her with its vibrant hues.It wouldn't surprise her if the killer had visited the house several times, studying it from the tree house or even creeping closer, drawn by some perverse fascination.
Her eyes darted back and forth as she searched for footprints in the flower bed.Each colorful petal and blade of grass seemed to taunt her, offering no clues to the identity of the monster who had taken the Hubbards' lives.
