Page 12 of Don't Look Now (Ariana Jones)

“None of us will tell anyone who your dad was,” Lia said. “Right, Charles?”

“Obviously not.”

Damon pushed his food around again. “I just worry the detective is going to ask around, and mention my link to my father.”

“Our neighbors should know you by now,” Lia said. “That’d be like not trusting Rita because of Boone. It’s ridiculous.”

“There were bodies buried on my property, and I was raised by a serial killer. It doesn’t look good. I’m not dumb enough to pretend otherwise.”

Silence.

Ariana finally spoke. “The evidence will prove you innocent. I was raised by a cop, so I know that much.”

“Maybe I better talk to an attorney.” Damon couldn’t remember the last time he felt so defeated.

“Won’t that make you look guilty?” Charles asked. “If you lawyer up?”

“It’s the only way I’ll get the legal advice I need, and I want to be ahead of the detective if he runs his mouth.”

Ariana squeezed his leg. “We’ll get through this. If we need to talk to the world’s most expensive attorney, then we will. You aren’t going to see the inside of prison.”

“And we can tell the police you aren’t staying here,” Lia said.

“I don’t want anyone lying for me. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m not going to have anyone deceive the cops for me.”

“Won’t bother me to send them down the wrong trail. Especially if he’s going after you for something like that. He has nothing and knows it, if he has to grasp for those kinds of straws.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m not going to hide. And besides, the neighbors have seen our cars out front. It’ll take all of two minutes to poke holes in that story. I’m going to stick with the truth.”

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

Rita looked at her phone. “I gotta bolt. Big party at the restaurant tonight, and I want to be there personally.”

“Didn’t you hire extra staff so you don’t have to be there all the time?” Ariana asked.

“Yeah, but this is the mayor’s birthday. I want to make sure everything goes perfectly.”

“Can you say something about Damon’s innocence?” Ari asked.

“If she brings up my abduction, or if it comes up naturally. I don’t want to be pushy. You understand, right?”

“Yes,” Damon said quickly. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t want the mayor involved.”

“She could help,” Ariana said.

“We don’t even know if the detective is going to do anything other than try to rattle me with his knowledge of who my dad was. In fact, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. New topic.”

Ariana sighed and followed Rita outside. She motioned for Lia, who shook her head and stayed.

Charles turned to Damon. “Do you think the detective is going to be a problem?”

“Too early to say.”

“But from the interrogation, what vibe did you get?”

“Not a good one.”

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