Chapter 27 Clayton

Clayton knew by her expression that he had her attention but wasn't sure she understood the implications. "He has a photograph of you," he went on, "and when he first got to town, he flashed it around Decker's Pool Hall. Tony was there that night and he saw it. Actually, he called me right away because he thought the guy's story sounded weird, but I didn't think much of it. Last weekend, though, Tony came by to tell me that he recognized Thibault when he was playing the piano at church." Beth could only stare at him. "I don't know if Drake gave it to him, or if he took it from Drake. But I figure that's the only thing that makes sense. Both Drake and Thibault were in the marines, and according to Tony, the picture was an older one, taken a few years ago." He hesitated. "I know that what I told you about the way I behaved might make it seem like I'm trying to run him off, but I'm not going to talk to him. I do think that you should, however, and I'm not saying this because I'm your ex-husband. I'm saying this as a deputy sheriff." Beth wanted to walk away but couldn't seem to find the will to move. Think about it. He had a picture of you, and based only on that, he walked across the country to find you. I don't know why, but I can make a pretty good guess. He was obsessed with you even though you'd never met, like someone who gets obsessed with movie stars. And what did he do? He hunted you down, but seeing you from afar—or simply meeting you—wasn't enough. Instead, he had to become part of your life. That's what dangerous stalkers do, Beth." His tone was calm and professional, which only intensified the dread she'd begun to feel. "By your expression, I know that all of this is news to you. You're wondering if I'm telling the truth or if I'm lying, and my track record isn't perfect. But, please, for Ben's sake—for your own sake—ask him about it. I can be there if you want me to be there, or I could even send another deputy if you'd prefer that. Or you can call someone else—your friend Melody. I just want you to understand how serious this is. How… creepy and weird this is. This is scary stuff, and I can't impress on you enough how important it is that you take it seriously, too." His mouth was set in a straight line as he set the file on a child's desk beside him. "This is some general information on Logan Thibault. I didn't have time to dig too deep, and I can get in big trouble for even letting you see this, but since I don't know what else he hasn't told you…" He trailed off before looking up at her again. "Think about what I told you. And be careful, okay?"