“Why? He said that they weren’t having an affair.” Lilia frowned.
“He still kept it a secret—-why? It wasn’t something to hide.” Augustus shrugged.
“He was trying to protect her,” Lilia shot back.
“From what? Why keep it a secret after she was dead? That’s the kind of information the police should know. Someone was threatening her enough for her to want to run away. He should’ve told someone,” Sebastian agreed with Augustus.
“We need more,” Lilia finally said, her voice cutting through the tension. “We can’t just guess. We need to find something concrete.”
“Agreed,” Augustus murmured, his eyes scanning the papers before him. “We’re missing something.”
“What if we revisited the places she last went to?” Eleanor suggested. “We could talk to people. If she was running from someone, she would’ve been scared. Someone would’ve noticed that.”
Augustus looked up from his laptop, considering the idea. “What time is it?”
“Four o’clock,” Sebastian replied, glancing at his watch.
“Okay.” Gus nodded. “Sebastian and I will head to the gas station. The rest of you can go to the motel and ask questions. We can meet at Ellie’s afterward.”
Lilia nodded, gathering her things. “Just be careful,” she warned as they all stood to head out.
“Always am.” Sebastian saluted.
The bell above the door chimed as Augustus and Sebastian entered the gas station. The harsh fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting an unflattering glow over the aisles of snacks and drinks. A faint smell of gasoline mixed with stale coffee permeated the air. Augustus scanned the cover, where a man with a thick beard was restocking packs of cigarettes.
“Excuse me,” Augustus began, approaching the counter. “Were you working here on the night of the 16th of April?”
The man looked up, his expression tired but not unfriendly. “Nah, that was Jason’s shift. Hey Jason!” he called over his shoulder.
A younger guy emerged from the back room, his posture slouched with a bored expression on his face. He had the air of someone who simply didn’t care.
“Yeah, what’s up?” Jason asked, glancing between Augustus and Sebastian.
Augustus showed him a photo of Willow. “You saw this girl here on the 16th of April, right?”
Jason barely looked at the photo before rolling his eyes. “Look, I’ve already talked to the police.”
“We’re just asking a few follow-up questions,” Sebastian said, stepping in with a disarming smile. “It’ll only take a few minutes.”
Jason sighed. “You’ve got five minutes.”
“Great,” Augustus said, diving right in. “You told the police that she came here alone. Did she look distraught or alarmed?”
Jason furrowed his brow. “No.”
Augustus nodded, taking a note. “Right, so?—”
“No, I mean, she wasn’t alone. She was here with a man. I told the detective that the first time they interviewed me.”
Augustus frowned. “That can’t be right. The report said that she was alone.”
Jason crossed his arms, leaning against the counter. “Well, the report’s wrong. She was with a man.”
Sebastian furrowed his brow. “Could you describe him?”
Jason hesitated. “Caucasian, tall, brown hair—it was a while ago. I can’t really remember.”
Sebastian let out a frustrated breath. “Could you maybe give us more than that? You just described yourself at this point.”
