"Perhaps there's a purpose in that," Silver said, his voice carrying a gentle weight."Knowledge often reveals itself when it's most needed, not necessarily when we first seek it."
Outside in the hallway, Kari and Ben walked in silence for several moments, both processing the unexpected connection they'd discovered.
"Silver seems genuinely helpful," Ben said as they exited the council building into the afternoon heat."And those journals could be exactly what we need."
"But tomorrow might be too late," Kari said, giving voice to her earlier concern."If the killer maintains the accelerated timeline, we could be facing another victim tonight or tomorrow morning."
Ben nodded grimly."We need to pursue multiple leads simultaneously.Split up, cover more ground."
They reached their vehicle, standing beside it in the shade of a cottonwood tree as they considered their next steps.
"I'll follow up with Marcus Tso," Ben suggested."The Sacred Pathways tour guide.His knowledge of ceremonial herbs and access to the first two victims is too significant to ignore.I want to know whether there's any connection between him and Jason Haskie."
"Good idea," Kari agreed."I wasn't fully satisfied with his explanation during our initial interview.There's something he's not telling us."
"And he has a background in anthropology," Ben added, "which connects to the academic profile of the first two victims.The fact that he specializes in the exact herbs used in the murders can't be coincidence."
"What's your approach?"Kari asked.
"I'll track his movements and Haskie's as best I can," Ben said."See if they ever intersect.Then I'll check his movements during the times of the murders, see if he has alibis or witnesses who can place him elsewhere."
"Be careful," Kari said."If he is involved, he's dangerous and highly intelligent."
"Always," Ben assured her."Where will you focus your efforts?"
Kari considered."I want to review what we have on the original victims again.Now that we have Haskie as our third victim, there might be connections we didn't see before.And I'll coordinate with the surveillance teams at the remaining two historical sites."
"Echo Cave," Ben said, naming the fifth location from the original murder sequence."If the killer maintains the pattern but continues adapting to avoid our surveillance, that's where we should expect the final murder."
"Assuming there are only five," Kari said, voicing the concern that had been growing in her mind."My grandfather's notes mentioned five victims corresponding to five sacred sites.But what if that's just one complete cycle?What if the killer plans to continue beyond the original pattern?"
Neither spoke for several long moments.
"Let's meet back at the station by six," Kari suggested."Compare what we've found before deciding next steps."
Ben nodded, already reaching for his phone to arrange transportation back to where Marcus Tso's tour company operated."I'll call if I find anything significant before then."
As they prepared to go their separate ways, Kari felt the weight of time pressing down on her.Somewhere on the reservation, the killer was likely already preparing for the next ceremonial murder.The race to understand the pattern—to break it before it could be completed—had never felt more urgent.
Or more personal
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ben leaned against his department SUV, maintaining a careful distance from Sacred Pathways' small office adjacent to the trading post.Through his binoculars, he could see Marcus Tso inside, moving between displays of traditional plants and artifacts as he prepared for his afternoon tour.Nothing about Tso's methodical preparations appeared suspicious—just a tour guide readying educational materials for visitors.
And yet something about Tso continued to trouble Ben.
For the past three hours, Ben had been investigating the tour guide's background, movements, and potential connections to the murders.He'd spoken with the trading post manager, who described Tso as "reliable, knowledgeable, and popular with tourists."He'd reviewed Tso's business permits, finding everything in proper order.He'd even contacted Tso's former professors at Arizona State University, learning that the man had been a serious, dedicated student of anthropology with a particular focus on medicinal plant traditions.
Nothing overtly suspicious had emerged.Tso's knowledge of ceremonial herbs could be attributed to his academic background and cultural upbringing.His access to the first two victims had a perfectly innocent explanation—they had participated in his cultural tours.His movements during the estimated times of the first two murders couldn't be definitively established, but neither could he be placed at the crime scenes.
Still, Ben's instincts wouldn't let him dismiss Tso as a suspect.The man's demonstrated knowledge of sacred sites, ceremonial herbs, and traditional practices aligned too perfectly with the ritualistic elements of the murders.His charismatic personality and professional credentials gave him both the ability to gain the victims' trust and the knowledge to recreate historical murder patterns with disturbing accuracy.
Ben checked his watch.Nearly four o'clock.Tso's afternoon tour should have departed by now, but the guide remained in his office, seemingly engaged in paperwork rather than leading visitors through nearby cultural sites.A change in routine?Or perhaps tours had been canceled due to the growing unease on the reservation as news of the murders spread.
His phone vibrated with a text from Kari:Any developments with Tso?
Ben typed a quick response: Still watching.Nothing conclusive yet.He's acting normally but hasn't left for his afternoon tour.Will update soon.
