Page 58 of Little Buried Secrets

Sebastian said nothing.

“I still don’t get why you’re both here,” Bronte said.

“A killer is out there,” Danny said.

“Yeah, we’re aware,” Bronte said. “So?”

“What if he’s not done … you know, killing people? What if he plans on targeting you or your mother next? Someone needs to be here to look after you.”

“We’re fine,” Bronte said. “Thanks for checking. You guys can go now.”

“No way,” Danny said. “I don’t care if you want me here or not. We’re here, and we’re not leaving. Deal with it.”

Based on the expression on Bronte’s face, I thought she might reach across Sebastian and slug Danny in the face. Instead, she walked to the driver’s-side door and opened it. She jumped onto Danny’s lap, and they kissed for more Mississippis than I cared to count.

“That might be the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Bronte said.

Sebastian and I exchanged glances, and he got out of the truck.

I looked at him and said, “Why don’t we go for a walk?”

I guessed spending time with me was the last thing he wanted to do, but as the lovefest between Bronte and Danny continued, he agreed.

“I want to show you something,” I said.

I pulled the note Bronte had given me out of my pocket, opened it, and handed it to him, pausing a moment while he read it.

When he finished, I said, “Let’s walk, and we can talk about the note.”

He nodded, and we headed toward Rae’s house.

“It’s Margot’s handwriting,” he said.

“Bronte found it above the visor in her car the other day. I believe Margot wrote it a couple of hours before she was abducted.”

“I don’t get it. I thought we broke up because of what happened at the party.”

“Looks like there was another reason. Do you have any idea what she was talking about in her note?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s about me.”

I disagreed.

I believed it had something to do with him, and I couldn’t decide whether he was feigning innocence or he was innocent.

“I never suggested the note was about you,” I said. “When you were dating, was there anything going on in her life that gave you concern?”

“Nothing. She was happy.”

“What about after you broke up?”

“She didn’t want anything to do with me, so it’s not like I’d know if something was going on with her after we broke up.”

“There are a few people I still need to question. I’m hoping when I do, I’ll have some answers, or at least more clarification on the meaning of her note. One of those people is Isaac Turner. Did you invite him to your party?”

“I did. We were on the football team together. A bunch of us hung out this summer, and he showed up a couple of times. I saw him talk to Margot a time or two, but I didn’t think much of it. I trusted her, and I figured I could trust him. Never took him for the type of person who’d go after another guy’s girl.”

“When did you find out Isaac was interested in Margot?”

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