Chapter 14
Confronting the Ghost
Romero seeks out individuals who were close to Seajay and Rayan in the past. Their stories paint a grim picture of manipulation and fear, confirming his suspicions.
The air in the old diner hung thick with the smell of stale coffee and desperation. Outside, the city lights bled into a weak, watery dawn, but inside, under the buzzing fluorescent tubes, time seemed to have curdled. I nursed a lukewarm cup, the ceramic rough against my fingertips, and watched the proprietor, a man named Silas, wipe down the counter with a rag that had seen better decades. His eyes, rheumy and tired, darted around the empty room, as if expecting trouble to walk in on its own accord.
“You say you knew Seajay’s father?” I asked, my voice a low rumble, careful not to disturb the fragile quiet.
Silas grunted, a sound that could have meant anything from affirmation to profound disinterest. “Knew him. Used to come in here. Quiet man. Kept to himself. Always had a worried look, like he was expecting the sky to fall.” He paused, his gaze drifting to the window. “Never saw him much after… well, after he showed up.”
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