Alice went to bed first. She was exhausted, brushing her teeth for less than thirty seconds, then slipping out of her robe and under the covers. She wondered if she was exhausted because of the stress of being interviewed by the frizzy-haired detective, or if she was tired because she’d barely done anything all day. She hadn’t gone swimming since Friday night, the night that Gina couldn’t make it back. Tomorrow she’d swim again. There were only so many days left before it would be too cold, and then she’d have to swim at the Y with the overchlorinated water and the old ladies.

She lay awake thinking about swimming, then listened as Jake got ready for bed, standing for a long time in the bathroom applying his face lotion, as he always did. He climbed in beside her, naked, smelling of vanilla and sandalwood.

He kissed her, the type of kiss that meant he was tired, then said, “I was going to bring it up earlier, but I couldn’t find the right time.”

“What?” she said, her limbs tingling.

“I woke up on Friday night to get a glass of water. You weren’t in bed so I went downstairs to look for you, and I couldn’t find you anywhere. I was nervous, so I looked out the window. I saw you coming back from the beach. Your hair was wet.”

She didn’t respond.

“Alice?” Jake eventually said.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“When? That night?”

“Yes.”

“I guessed that it was something between you and Gina, and I didn’t want to bother you about it. I went back to bed. You came in and showered.”

“I didn’t—”

“Shh,” Jake said, his face pressed close up to her ear. “I don’t want you to say anything, but I wanted you to know that I knew. Don’t say anything, okay? We’re better off—much better off—without Gina in our lives. Just like we are better off without your mother.”

Alice’s limbs stiffened at the mention of her mother.

“Whatever you say,” she said.

“I love you, Alice. Forever and ever. No matter what happens.”

“I love you, too, Jake,” she said, and turned away from him.

After he fell asleep, Alice got up and went to her old bedroom, and got under the covers. She could hear the very faint sawing sound of Jake’s snoring through the condo’s cheap walls. She tried to sleep, but she kept thinking about what Jake had said. Why had he brought up her mother? She’d found her mother dead on the sofa, something she’d have to live with forever. And now she’d lost her best friend. She hadn’t been able to save her, and Jake was making it sound like she was somehow to blame.