Chapter 4 — Meeting Danny Cole

Third Person

The Rustwood Bar murmured with the low hum of voices and the occasional clink of glasses, its dim haze of neon light softened by a smoky veil. Clara Hastings hesitated at the warped door, her hand pausing briefly on the handle. The faint metallic tang in the air mingled with the scent of stale beer, and a gravelly rendition of a forgotten rock ballad drifted from the jukebox in the corner. She took a steadying breath, her heels clicking sharply as she stepped inside. The scuffed floorboards creaked underfoot, a small but unwelcome reminder of how out of place she was among the peeling wallpaper and cracked barstools.