“You’re just like him, you know. You don’t talk about yourself. You just keep asking questions. He did the exact same thing. I thought he was selfless, at first, but I changed my mind. I think it was selfish. I think he didn’t want to give anything of himself away, and I think you’re the same.”

“I don’t know what to say to that,” Harry said.

“Yeah, that’s what he used to say,” Grace said, her voice tinged with anger. Then quietly, she said, “What’s the name of this woman he was supposed to be involved with?”

“Annie Callahan.”

“How did he know her?”

“She worked at the bookstore, the one up here. Alice said that my father hired her because he’d heard her husband was out of work, and she needed the money.”

Harry watched Grace, who was chewing at the side of her thumbnail. He thought she looked doubtful, for the first time. He wanted to say more, wanted to convince her that there was a possibility that his father had been involved with two women on the side. Maybe it was a midlife crisis, maybe it was a pattern he’d had his whole life. Harry no longer knew what to believe.

“Grace,” he said.

She stopped biting at her nail and looked up at him.

“You should definitely tell the police you’re here,” Harry said.

She shrugged, and said, “I’ll talk to them. They won’t believe me, but I’ll talk to them.” She started chewing at the side of her nail again. He wondered what she’d done today—if she’d left this room, or had anything to eat. He was going to ask her, but instead he said, “I should go. Thanks for telling me the truth about my father.”

“Stay a little longer,” she said quickly, smiling weakly, her eyes locking on his.

“No, I should go back,” Harry said. He stood.

“Okay. I understand.”

Harry didn’t immediately move. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked.

“I will be. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll check in with you tomorrow morning, okay?” he said. “Bright and early. I think we both need to get some sleep.”

“Okay,” she said, her shoulders dropping. There was a sad smile on her face, and she looked defeated. “Be careful,” she said.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be back tomorrow. We can go to the police, together, if you’d like?”

“Yes,” she said. Harry went through the door, shut it behind him, and retreated, hand on a banister, down the dark stairwell, and out the front door, back out into the night.