Page 76 of Nowhere Good

“That’s great. Can we meet?”

She stiffened. Her dad’s presence still lingered like a poltergeist in this room. He could see her, smell her, breathe down her neck. “Sure, but where? I don’t want it to be too public…”

He was quiet for a moment, before he said, “Listen, about last night…”

Claire held her breath. After a beat, Seth went on.

“I dropped a bomb on you, and I’m sorry for that. If you’re willing to talk about what you’ve found on the record, then I want it to be on your terms. So you tell me what’s comfortable for you, and I’ll make it happen.”

On the record? Oh, boy. Claire’s head spun, dangerous images flitting through her mind.

This was a risk, but talking to Seth always had been. Three women were dead now. Three innocent women who had nothing to do with any of this.

It wasn’t just about her life anymore.

It was another steamer that day, clouds draped like cloth over the too-bright sky. After changing into a tank top and shorts, Claire had waited for Seth to pick her up by the gate, grateful no one was out to see her get into his car. Although there was probably nowhere on the planet she wouldn’t fear her dad was watching, Claire had agreed to sit down and talk if he found a spot outside of town. The car ride had been mostly quiet.

That brought them here.

Sue’s Diner was only twenty minutes outside of Fairview, but it felt like another world to Claire. It’d been so long since she’d been somewhere new, so the checkered green décor might as well have been some sort of exotic plant. Nestled off a county road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the air was thick with the sugary smell of cinnamon and pancakes. The fryers sizzled in the back while a pot of coffee sputtered as it brewed. It’d smell like heaven if Claire’s stomach wasn’t so tied up with knots. Still, she wished The Stalk and Barrell had this kind of homestyle charm—more restaurant, less dive.

They sat in a booth at the very back corner, where the noon light poured in like table syrup. It was strange to sit here across from Seth almost like they were two normal people, just stopping for lunch. There were only a few others in the restaurant, scattered on the far side and by the diner’s bar.

A portly woman in a green dress came over to check in with them, and her nametag read Sue, Herself! When Sue propped a hand on her hip and smiled big, her cheeks rosy and plump, Claire wished she had it in her to smile back.

Seth gestured to Claire. She hadn’t seen him look this exhausted and stressed since she found him drunk in his motel room, but it didn’t take away from how nice his face was. “You know what you want?”

She hadn’t thought much about it, too anxious to talk. “Um, I don’t need anything.”

“Are you sure? We can grab lunch first. I’m buying.”

But Claire shook her head. It was nice of Seth to accommodate her and all, but the sooner they got this over with, the better.

Seth nodded and subtly showed Sue his badge. A cautious understanding flickered over Sue’s face. “You just holler if you need anything,” she said, then excused herself.

Alone with Seth again, Claire bopped her knees together. He pulled out his phone and notebook, and she eyed his hands, remembering how they’d felt on the skin of her arms last night, then wrapped around her wrist. He had big hands, the kind that would engulf hers if they were to compare sizes, but they weren’t rough, not like Dillon’s were. She measured the width of his index finger next to his middle finger. Oof.

Stop that.

When he caught her looking, she averted her gaze, hoping her thoughts weren’t written as plain as day on her face. He didn’t seem to think much of it.

“I’m gonna record this and take some notes, and if at any point you need me to turn it off, say the word, okay?”

Claire’s nerves frayed; this was getting real. “One thing. Who’s gonna hear this?”

“For right now? Just me, but it depends on what you tell me. I’ll need to share some of your statements with Chief Wells. Down the line, prosecution, but again, it depends. It’s all strictly need-to-know.”

Damn. She was worried he’d say that. Chief Wells was awfully chummy with her dad.

“If you’re worried about Chief Wells, don’t,” Seth clarified, as if reading her mind. “She won’t compromise the investigation. I know how important your anonymity is.”

Chewing on her lip, she nodded, though she was still wary. He didn’t know what kind of pull her dad could have on people, probably even Chief Wells.

But again, this wasn’t just about her life anymore.

“Okay,” Claire said. “I’m ready.”

And just like that, the point of no return.