Angie decided that was not joke material, and said nothing. As we sped away down Chancery Park, I had to ask her for directions. “I don’t know where this friend of yours lives.”

“Turn right at Lilac,” she said.

We drove on in silence, Angie speaking only to give directions. About five minutes later, we stopped out front of a two-story house with a couple of expensive cars in the driveway. Angie had her hand on the door handle when I reached out and touched her arm.

“I’m sorry, honey,” I said.

She shrugged, avoiding my eyes. “I guess there’s no way you could know the money was fake.”

“No, not about that. I’m sorry about moving us out here. I know you haven’t liked it out here, that you miss your friends downtown. I was only trying to do what I thought was best at the time.”

Angie looked at me now, trying to read between the lines. “I know that.”

“I’ll talk to your mom. I don’t know, maybe we need to reassess things.”

“It’s not that bad,” she said. “I guess I’m getting used to it.”

I smiled. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

“Be careful,” I said as she gave my hand a squeeze and slipped out the door. I watched her run up the walk and ring the bell, and waited until she was safely inside the house before driving away.

next stop: andy’s. he and Paul were already out by the end of the driveway, goofing around on skateboards, when my headlights swept around the corner and caught them. Paul grabbed his stuff out of the back seat and wasted as little time as possible on conversation. I think he was afraid I’d change my mind, tell him to get in the car and come home.

I was well over the limit heading back to our house, but I slowed the last half-block, looking for unfamiliar cars parked at the curb, people crouched in the bushes. I parked, locked the Civic, and scooted into the house, looking over my shoulder as I pushed the door in, expecting Rick to suddenly appear, leaping onto me like a wild beast.

But he wasn’t there, and once I was inside I threw the deadbolt. And stopped, holding my breath, listening for sounds. Was he back in the house somehow? As someone who worked for Valley Forest Estates, did he have some sort of master key? Could he get into any house he wanted, any time he wanted?

All I could hear was the blood pounding in my temples. I shouted, “I know you’re here, asshole! And that cop’s back, right out front! So if you’re smart, you’ll get the hell out!”

Nothing.