One Last Breath by Sarah Sutton (speld decodable readers txt) 📗

sense the turn of her head. His eyes remained on the screen, his jaw clenched tight, making it look more defined than it already was. But then he took a deep breath, releasing the tension, and turned to meet Tara’s eyes.

“We could find out where that fire was,” Warren suggested. “But it could be a long shot.” They both knew it would be difficult. The images did not reveal which police department was at the fire. Their vehicles were not included in any of the shots, and neither were the firefighters.

But Tara had another idea. “You think there’s a way to identify the type of camera used from the memory card?” If so, they could maybe narrow down where it could’ve been bought in the area.

Warren shrugged. “Could be possible. Only one way to find out. Let’s ask the owner.” If anyone could tell them if there was a way to trace the memory card back to a specific camera, it was the store owner. Warren was about to say one more thing, but Tara already knew. She turned to the computer and exited from Sofia’s image. Without another word, Warren left the room, only to return moments later with the shop owner.

“What can I help with?” he asked as he stepped into the room behind Warren. He knitted his eyebrows and twisted his mouth in concern. Tara could tell he truly wanted to help, and she was thankful for it. It certainly made their job easier.

“This memory card,” Tara started as she pointed to the adapter by the computer. “Is there any way to trace what camera it was used on?”

The man bobbed his head back and forth, weighing the question. “To a degree. You can certainly tell the brand and if it’s a high-end camera or not. Like I can tell you already that that memory card is for a Canon. That adaptor I gave you is only used for Canon C-Fast memory cards.”

Tara nodded. “Any way to tell what type of Canon?”

The shop owner sighed and shook his head, sending a wave of disappointment through the room. “You can certainly narrow it down. Only certain Canons will use that type of memory card, but you can’t narrow it down to one specific camera, or even a couple.” Tara contemplated their options. Without being able to pinpoint the exact type of camera used, it opened the door for more obstacles, but it was still certainly possible to track local sales; it would just take more time than she was willing to give. Tara sighed, and the shop owner, sensing her disappointment, perked up, as if to reignite the flame of hope he had extinguished. “I can tell you that the memory card you have is only used for high-end Canons.”

“Who would need such high-end camera?” Warren asked.

The shop owner pursed his lips. “A professional, or a really serious hobbyist. Those cameras can run a few thousand dollars.”

Tara shared a look with Warren. They both knew it was a bit of information that could potentially help them. The pictures were taken at a potentially newsworthy story. Could it have been a professional there on assignment? She knew if that were the case, they would probably come into local shops like this often.

“Do you sell those types of cameras here?” Tara asked.

“No, I only sell the adaptors. I mostly sell Sony cameras.” Tara’s heart sank. Even though his information so far was useful, she was still hoping to leave with a lead. He tilted his head to the ceiling, giving Tara the hope of another thought brewing. And then he looked back and forth between Tara and Warren excitedly. “I do know a store that does,” he said as he turned toward the computer, abruptly opening a drawer at his desk and grabbing a piece of a notepad. He scribbled something down, ripped off the page, and handed it to Tara. “It’s only a couple towns over,” he added.

Tara took the paper. It was a start, and she thanked him. But then she turned to the computer. She needed an easier way to show the images of the fire if needed without having to insert the memory card.

She pointed at the computer. “Do you mind if I send these images to my email?”

The shop owner shook his head. “Go right ahead.”

Tara hovered over the computer as she opened her email and uploaded only the fire images as an attachment. She then quickly ejected the memory card and grabbed the adaptor. They were getting closer to answers. She could feel it in her every bone of her body. She thanked the shop owner again. When she turned around to face Warren, she could see in his wide eyes that he sensed it too. Without a word, he turned to the door. Tara quickly followed.

Chapter Twenty Three

Tara looked up from her phone as the car slowed, turning into a parking lot. Carter Imaging was spelled out upon the large awning, hanging over the even larger glass doors. The building was about three times the size of the store they had just come from. It had two stories and was the only building in the parking lot.

The store was about fifteen minutes outside of Dewey Beach. On the way there, Tara had learned from browsing on her phone that it was one of many in a chain, selling all the photography and videography equipment one could ever need, and it seemed like a go-to for any professional. She had already told this to Warren.

“How far is the next closest one?” Warren asked as he parked.

Tara looked down at the search results on her phone “About twenty miles.” Her words only confirmed that if the killer was a professional or even a serious hobbyist, it was likely he had stepped foot within this store. Again, Tara felt a slow rise in adrenaline at the possibility of answers moments away. Warren swiftly opened the car door. Her words were affirmation to him as