“I followed Agent King’s car.”
I held out my hands. “Because?”
“Because we should talk—”
“About what?”
“Us.”
I let out a long breath. “There’s nothing to talk about. You wanted to keep me a secret. I understood the reason as a teen. I let you continue with the excuse in my twenties. Now, we are both in our thirties and it’s depressing and pathetic.”
Sean ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s not just an excuse. It’s not just my parents and all about race. You don’t want to move back here.”
“Of course not. I have a career with the FBI.”
“But—”
“There are no buts.” I walked off. “It’s been five years. Move on.”
“Can we talk?”
I rolled my eyes. “You don’t want to talk. You’re just trying to get laid. That’s what it’s always been about.”
“Trust me, Haven.” He grabbed my wrists and stopped me right before I exited the courtyard.
“Trust you?”
“I only want to talk, and it was never just about sex.”
“You only want to talk?” I moved my arm. “Then, go ahead and make it quick.”
Sean looked around. “Can we go somewhere private?”
“Like my room with the bed?”
He licked his lips. “Maybe. It would just be to talk.”
“No. We can talk right here.”
He frowned. “Fine.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Let’s talk.”
“Do you think it’s safe to be on this case?”
“I do.”
“This is different than your other cases.”
“You don’t really know what I did in my other cases.”
“It wasn’t serial killers.” Sean scowled at me. “I don’t like that you’re on this. Did your mother think it was a good idea?”
“Yes. Not that it mattered.”
“Will you be working next to Agent King the whole time?”
“Maybe. Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure if I like this or not.”
“I don’t care.” I left the courtyard and headed off to the dining room. “I can’t believe you showed up here. You could’ve just called—”
“You don’t pick up when I call.”
“You could have left a message.” I hurried down the hallway and stopped at the entrance to the dining room.
The hostess smiled at me. “Welcome. Would you like to be seated?”
“Yes.” I grinned at Sean. “Table for two?”
Sean peeked in.
I rolled my eyes. People stacked the place. Surely, many were from Fullbrooke. Husbands liked to bring their wives here for special occasions.
He scratched his head. “Uh. . .yeah. Let’s. . .eat.”
The hostess lifted two leather menus.
I got to his side. “So, Sean Thompson will be seen with a black woman this evening?”
“Everyone knows I’m crazy about you. It’s not a secret.”
“But, you would rather people didn’t see us together.”
“I don’t feel like dealing with my side of town.”
“You should keep better friends and family.”
“I can’t cut everybody. They’re blood.”
“But if blood represents mean people, then you should run far away.”
“That’s not how I do things.”
The hostess gestured to our table. “Here we go.”
Sean rushed to my chair and pulled it out.
Unimpressed, I sat down.
The hostess set the menus on the table. “Your waitress will be with you shortly.”
“Thank you.” I picked up my menu.
Sean didn’t grab his. Instead, he focused his view on me. “How long do you think the case will take to solve?”
“I have no idea.”
“But you could be here for a while?”
“Yes.” I scanned the menu. “It won’t matter when you’re concerned. This is our first and last meal together while I’m here.”
“You shouldn’t lie.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
I checked my left and spotted Brett and Tina sitting together. They didn’t appear to have seen me. Tina giggled at something Brett said. Their plates were half full and they both had glasses of wine.
Our waitress arrived. She looked familiar. I must’ve gone to school with her. She greeted us and said the specials. I gave her my order of steak, baked potato, and broccoli. Sean only wanted a beer. I asked for a pinot noir.
When she left, I turned back to Sean. “Why did you really show up tonight?”
“I wanted to talk.”
“And?”
“I’m wondering. . .”
I leaned back in my chair.
“Does the FBI suspect my father? I know that there have been whispers around town about my father and his friends’ possible involvement with these missing girls.”
“Not missing.”
“What?”
“Now they are dead.” I tilted my head to the side. “Do you think your father and his friends may be involved?”
“Of course not.”
“But you came here to make sure he was out of trouble.”
“I’m his son. If someone said that about your mother, you would’ve looked into it.”
“No one would say that about my mother. She doesn’t do the sort of things or hang out with the type of people that would make her suspicious to a case of dead children.”
“My father is a lot of things, but he’s no killer.”
“But, kidnapper?”
“Not a kidnapper either.”
“And his friends?”
Sean shrugged. “I can’t speak for his friends. I just know that my father wouldn’t do anything like that.”
The waitress set my glass of wine and his beer down.
I didn’t pick up my wine. Instead, I studied him. Something didn’t settle right with his worry for his father. I thought about the answers he’d given to Alexander in his living room earlier.
Sean stirred under my attention and then took a swig of his beer. “What?”
“Your father doesn’t have an alibi for those nights? Does he?”
Sean took another swig.
“You were with your mother for church those days, but what about your father? Was he at Sunday dinner too?”
“My father didn’t—”
“Wow.” I shook my head. “Reverend Thompson wasn’t around at all. Where was he?”
“I don’t know. My parents have had some issues this year. They’ve been separated.”
“So, he’s not in the home?”
“No.”
“And he doesn’t go to church with you all?”
“No, but he’s still working on getting his own church.”
That won’t happen. Not after he stole that money.
I sat up. “Did you ask him about his whereabouts?”
Sean ignored my question. “I need a favor from you, Haven.”