“That's it?” Mason asked. “I know you didn't eat earlier. Are you sure you don't want anything else?”
“Toast and grape jelly. Might as well keep things sweet before the town tries to burn me at the stake.” She smiled up at Beverly.
Mason smirked. “I’ll keep the pitchforks off you. I’ve got federal clearance.”
“I’ll put your order in. It was good to see you. Don't be a stranger. Let me know if you need anything, anything at all, while you're in town,” Beverly said, staring at Mason as if she were ready to take him out back and devour him for dessert.
As Beverly walked away, Savanah caught her whispering to another waitress while glancing back at their table. The waitress's eyes widened, and she quickly pulled out her phone, fingers flying across the screen.
“The Savannah Miles warning system has been activated,” Savannah said dryly. “By morning, everyone in town will know I'm back.”
Mason seemed unfazed by Beverly's flirtatious ways. Back in school, the way she'd batted her eyes would have had all the boys fighting for her attention.
“You should probably eat more than that. I'm not sure what they have at the motel.”
“It's fine.” Savanah dumped creamer into her coffee and stirred. She lifted the cup to her lips and blew before scalding her mouth with a sip.
“Beverly hasn't changed a bit. Back in the day, she was always people-watching, looking for anything she could use against them. Well, at least with me.”
“You think she's looking for gossip?”
“I have no doubt.” Savanah took another sip of coffee. “You realize she was hitting on you, right?”
“I don't date married women.” His tone softened as he looked at Savanah. “And she's not really my type. She can't see ghosts.”
“You only date the crazy ones, huh?”
Mason sipped his coffee and looked out the window toward Main Street. “You know that guy? He looks a little agitated.”
She followed his line of sight to the dark figure standing across the street. Her heartbeat jumped like it hadn't in years.
She knew exactly who he was.
“That's Richard. My ex-stepdad.” She didn't bother hiding the edge in her tone. “No surprise he doesn't look happy to see me. Mom and he divorced because of me.”
Mason's brow creased as if viewing Richard now as a threat. “I'm sure you weren't the reason for their divorce.”
Savanah's shoulders sagged. “I'm totally the reason they got divorced. They used to argue about me. He'd dismiss what I was feeling, and Mom would take my side.”
“What were you feeling back then? Were you talking about ghosts or something else?”
“No ghosts. I felt like I was being watched by someone living and breathing with a pulse.”
“You had a stalker?” he asked. His brows furrowed. “Did you tell anyone?”
She shrugged. “No one believed me about the dead guy in the barn. They said I was just making it up for attention. But for some reason, Richard claimed he believed me. It was kind of strange. It was one of the few times he and my mom didn't fight. I think he saw the terror in my eyes. He was always around, you know. He was always on edge when I talked about ghosts. I didn't feel safe anywhere, including my house. I was too young to understand why my ability to see ghosts was so much of a problem.”
“Your instincts were probably right,” Mason said, his voice low. “Kids often sense threats adults miss.”
The bell on the diner door jingled. Three men in work clothes walked in, stopping abruptly when they spotted Savanah. Pete Williams, who'd once put dead worms in her lunch bag, whispered something to the others. They laughed, staring openly at her.
“Town welcome wagon has arrived,” she muttered.
“I see them,” Mason replied, his posture shifting slightly. “Ignore them. We've got more important things to focus on.”
Savanah nodded, but she couldn't help noticing how Pete kept glancing at her over his shoulder as they took a booth across the room. The men huddled together, occasionally looking her way. One pulled out his phone, showing something to the others that made them snicker.
Mason offered a small smile of encouragement. “Hopefully, this trip gives you some answers and will help us figure out who's guilty and who's not. Richard's on the suspect list, same as allthe other residents in the town. We'll run his prints, follow the evidence, and let it point us in the right direction. We'll get to the truth, and maybe the town will finally be able to breathe a little easier.”
