Ellen’s arms came up again, her fingers digging into the bare flesh. Her uniform was inexplicably short sleeved, an old-fashioned-type yellow dress with stiff fabric that never fit anyone correctly.

There was a battle being waged behind those shuttered eyes. The girl could still resist, force them to get a warrant. Or she could give them what were probably half truths and lies anyway. The choice seemed obvious to Izzy.

Ellen’s gaze swept the room once, her shoulders tense as she tried to make herself small. “Not here. I’ll take my smoke break. Meet me in the alley in five.”

Dropping two twenties on the table, Mia slid out of the booth, and Izzy followed. They headed outside and then took a hard right into the small alleyway behind the diner.

It took another seven minutes for the back-entrance door to crack open. Ellen slipped through the narrow opening, bundled up in a heavy jacket and a turquoise beanie that covered her curls.

She glanced at them but didn’t say anything as she leaned against the diner’s wall and attempted to light her cigarette. On the third try the flame took, and the slim stick shook in her hands.

“I don’t know what I can tell you,” Ellen finally said, holding the cigarette near her leg instead of bringing it to her lips.

“You know we’re looking into Robert Twist’s death,” Mia started, gentle, like she was trying not to spook a skittish animal.

Ellen jerked her head in a quick affirmative but didn’t look at either of them. Izzy had the impression she would sink back into the wall if she could.

“Can you tell us about him? We heard he talked to you. Took you to coffee.”

At the last bit, Ellen flinched. Then clearly tried to hide the reaction.

They were all bundled, hands gloved and shoved in pockets, chins dipping beneath the collars of their coats in a vain hope that it would keep their faces protected.

The back alley in the middle of winter left a lot to be desired for an interview space.

“I don’t know what there is to tell,” Ellen said. “He hit on me when he first got here. I finally agreed to get coffee with him.”

“Was it a personal interest, or did he want to talk to you about the story he was working on?”

The girl swallowed, a flush of pink riding along her cheekbones. Embarrassment. Or they were just chapped from the wind. Could be either.

“I thought it was a date until he started asking about you.”

And so another confirmation that Twist was digging into that night at the lighthouse.

“What was he asking?” Izzy chimed in. Ellen’s attention swung toward her, eyes wide, pupils dilated. It was as if she’d forgotten there was a threat to her right side as well. She stared at Izzy, frozen, then looked back at Mia.