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This caught Sheila's attention. "I wasn't aware."
"College student, just like Tyler Matthews. They ruled it an accident—said he was drunk, wandered in, got lost." Riggs pulled out her phone, quickly finding a photo. "Jason Fox. Nineteen years old. His parents begged the mining company to seal the entrance afterward. Know what the company did?"
Sheila studied the photo—a young Asian man smiling at the camera, full of life. "What did they do?"
"Put up a new 'No Trespassing' sign." Riggs's voice was bitter. "That was their solution. A sign."
"Sarah." A younger woman touched Riggs's arm. "The TGN news crew wants another statement."
"In a minute, Michelle." Riggs turned back to Sheila. "You know what's really happening here, Sheriff? These mines are still valuable. Cooper Mining knows there's copper down there—they just don't want to pay for proper safety measures to extract it. So they let the mines sit, 'abandoned' but not really abandoned, waiting for copper prices to rise enough to make it profitable again."
"That doesn't explain our killer," Sheila said quietly.
"No? You don't think decades of corporate negligence created the perfect hunting ground?" Riggs gestured to the dark mine entrance. "These tunnels should have been properly mapped, sealed, monitored. Instead, they're a maze where anyone can hide, where kids can wander in and disappear."
Finn appeared at Sheila's side. "Sheriff," he said softly. "Dr. Zihao needs to speak with you about Marcus Reed's autopsy results. Apparently, he discovered something you'll want to see."
Sheila frowned, wondering what the coroner might have discovered. Something that would lead them to the killer, perhaps?
Behind them, a reporter was doing a stand-up: "With no leads on the killer's identity, authorities appear to be at a dead end..."
"Think about what I said," Riggs called as Sheila turned to leave. "And ask yourself—who really benefits from keeping these mines open?"
As they walked away, Finn squeezed Sheila's hand. "You okay?"
"No," she admitted. "Because some of what she's saying makes sense. These mines should have been secured years ago."
"But that's not why you're out here at midnight, covered in mine dust." He stopped, making her face him. "You're not here because of corporate negligence or mining rights. You're here because there's a killer using these tunnels."
"Yes," Sheila agreed softly, looking back at the protesters, the news crews, the floodlit mine entrance that seemed to swallow all light. "And I just might be the only thing standing between him and his next victim."
With that thought still lingering in her mind, she headed back toward her vehicle. It was time to learn what the coroner had discovered.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The county morgue always felt unnaturally cold to Sheila, as if the sterile air itself was frozen. She watched Dr. Jin Zihao work methodically, her father standing beside her as they observed the examination of Marcus Reed's body.
"Cause of death is consistent with the fall," Dr. Zihao said, indicating the massive trauma to Marcus's skull and torso. "Multiple fractures, severe internal injuries. Death would have been nearly instantaneous."
Sheila studied the body, trying to see beyond the obvious injuries. Marcus lay pale under the harsh lights, all the energy and enthusiasm she'd seen in his videos now extinguished.
"What about his movements before death?" Gabriel asked. "Any indicators of his path through the mine?"
Dr. Zihao nodded, lifting one of Marcus's hands. "Residue under his fingernails consists primarily of copper ore dust, but there are traces of limestone as well. That suggests he traveled through both the main mining tunnels and some of the natural cave formations."
Thus far, Sheila wasn't particularly surprised. Nothing they'd learned so far would help them identify the killer nor indicate where he might strike next.
So why had Dr. Zihao made it sound urgent for them to come down?
"Doctor," Sheila said finally, "you called us here specifically. Said you had something important to show us."
"Ah, yes." Dr. Zihao's eyes brightened with professional excitement. "When we were processing his personal effects, I noticed something unusual about his glasses."
He moved to a small evidence table and lifted a pair of black-framed glasses. They were cracked but largely intact, surprisingly resilient considering the fall their owner had taken.
"At first glance, they appear to be ordinary prescription eyewear," Dr. Zihao continued. "But notice the unusual thickness of the frames, particularly near the temples. And this small panel here—" He pointed to a nearly invisible seam. "I've seen something similar before in a case involving corporate espionage. These are smart glasses."
Sheila leaned closer, examining the frames. "Recording devices?"