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Shelby’s gaze was still on the prison entrance. “There was something familiar to me about the guy in the cell next to Nate.”

The guy who’d proclaimed his innocence? “What do you mean?” Now that he thought about it, Hunter had felt a trickle of familiarity, too.

“I…” Her lips pressed together. “I swear I’ve met him before.”

That wasn’t good. Hunter knew he hadn’t met the guy, but something was bugging him.

“Huh.” From John Henry. “I’ve got to ask, Shelby. Just how many killers on death row do you know?”

Her head whipped toward him.

“Simply curious,” he explained. “Odds of you knowing two guys like that—who are right next to each other—seem pretty low.”

She rubbed her temple. “Maybe I’m wrong. It was just—never mind.” She thrust back her shoulders. “Let’s deal with one killer at a time, all right?”

John Henry flickered a glance toward Hunter. He tried to send a silent message to his friend. Hunter fully intended to investigate that other death row inmate, just not at the moment. Because he had a killer on the loose in Hathaway that he needed to take down. “We do know already that the professor has been here, and Shamus Quint has been here. Plus, a slew of women eager to date or marry Nate Shiloh.”

John Henry waited.

“When we get back to town, I want you to get eyes on the professor. That’s your priority one. Shelby and I are going to the diner—we want to ask Rochelle some questions.” The diner had been in Nate’s sketches. All of the places depicted in those sketches were important. Hunter would be investigating them all. One by one.

But I’m starting with the diner.

“I’ll handle the professor,” John Henry assured them. “Already been digging. I’ve searched his social media. Started investigating all his research papers. Got to say, he sure likes his killers.”

“Oh, he’s very into high-level predators,” Hunter returned.

John Henry’s expression hardened. “I’ll get my eyes on him, count on it.”

Hunter grunted. He knew he could count on John Henry. “Time to head back to Hathaway,” Hunter said.

As if on cue, thunder rumbled.

“Yeah.” Hunter tipped back his head and stared up at the sky. “That seems about right.”

The storm struck hard and viciously. They got held up in two major traffic jams on the way back to Hathaway. Shelby had been silent as she watched the twisting lights of the emergency vehicles respond to the accidents, and when she’d seen the mangled mess that had been left of the cars involved in the collisions, she’d said a quick prayer for the victims.

Even as she remembered the wreckage of Hunter’s SUV at the Shiloh estate.

Life was fleeting. One minute everything was fine. You were safe. You were happy. And then in the next instant…

Hell, it didn’t have to be some serial killing psycho who destroyed your life. You could be driving down the road and a storm could hit. You hydroplane or the driver next to you could become distracted by his phone and the next thing you know…

It would all be over.

Just…

Over.

Hunter braked outside of Ms. Rochelle’s diner. The OPEN sign flashed in the window, on and off. On and off. Night had fallen. The rain kept coming down, and the wipers of the rental swished across the windshield.

“I’m glad I met you.” There were things she needed to tell Hunter, and that seemed like the best place to start.

He killed the engine. Made no move to open his door or leave the vehicle.

The wipers stopped swishing.

“I’m glad,” Shelby repeated. “I needed someone like you in my life.” That wasn’t quite right, though, was it? “I wanted someone like you in my life.”