“Is that what you’d like?”

Trevor looked away. While he considered a response, Carol said, “I’m okay with talking to you. I mean, I didn’t see anything, but I don’t mind talking to you. Trevor, are you okay with me talking to your dad?”

“This is just weird, that’s all,” he said.

“I get that,” Duckworth said. “I mean, it’s not like I think you two tattooed this guy.”

Carol laughed nervously. “Well, that’s good to know!”

Trevor, however, did not look amused.

“Do you remember seeing Mr. Gaffney?”

Carol shook her head. “I don’t. But,” and she placed her hand gingerly over her mouth, as though she were about to tell a secret, “I wasn’t really paying attention to anyone else.”

“Trevor?”

“Don’t remember him.”

“What about when you left Knight’s? You had to have come out just a few seconds after Mr. Gaffney. This would have been right around the time he met the person or persons who abducted him. Did you notice anything odd? Maybe someone hanging around outside the bar, or at the entrance to the alley? Did you hear something that sounded like a fight or a scuffle?”

“No,” Trevor said quickly. “No to all of those things. We came out and went to my car and that’s that.” He looked at Carol. “Right?”

She studied Trevor’s face for a moment before replying. “That’s right. That’s certainly the way I remember it.”

“You didn’t talk to anyone, see anyone when you came out?” Duckworth persisted.

“Didn’t I just answer that?” Trevor asked before Carol could say anything.

Duckworth gave his son a slow appraisal. “Okay, then.” He smiled weakly at Carol. “I thought it was worth a shot, is all.” He put his phone back into his pocket and leaned back from the table.

“It’s such a pleasure to have met you,” he said to Carol.

“Nice to meet you too.”

“What do you do, Carol?”

“I work for the town.”

“That must be interesting, especially now that we have Randall Finley running things again.”

“Never a dull moment,” Carol said.

“And David Harwood’s still his assistant, right?”

“He is. They never charged him for shooting that escaped convict.”

“Lucky for Harwood. Listen, you must come by the house some time.”

She forced a smile. “That’d be nice.”

“I know Trevor’s mother would be delighted to see you. How did you two meet?”

“Jesus, Dad,” Trevor said. “This really is turning into an investigation. Does Carol have the right to call her lawyer?”

Carol forced a laugh. “Trevor, it’s okay.”

Duckworth raised his hands as though admitting defeat. “None of my business anyway.”

He got up from the chair and gave his son one last nod. “See you later.”

“Yeah, sure,” Trevor said. “Can’t wait.”

Duckworth walked back to his car, got behind the wheel, and drove out of the Starbucks lot.

“God, I’m sorry about that,” Trevor said. “I don’t know what to say. I’ve never been so humiliated. He watched us.”

“It’s okay,” Carol said quietly. “He seems like a nice guy.”