Frank put his arm around her and squeezed. “You’re a good person. Promise me you’ll call if things get weird. Even if you’re not sure but it feels sketchy, call. And remember, she doesn’t have to answer any of their questions. Keep reminding her of that.”

Emily eased herself free of his arm. The garage door opened and she heard a car engine turn over. Red taillights and then backup lights came into view as Quinn pulled her car out of the garage.

Emily stood behind her own car, waiting for Quinn to pull up alongside. Frank touched her car’s broken taillight. She was surprised that she hadn’t noticed that before. Not when she was at the Park ’n’ Ride with Becca. Not when she got home last night. Not when she’d driven to the storage unit that morning. And it wasn’t just a broken taillight; there was also a dent on the rear bumper and a stain. She touched it and dried flakes came off on her fingertips. She sniffed. It had a coffee smell. Emily wiped her hand on her pants.

Frank took one look at Quinn’s Miata and rolled his eyes at Emily. As if he were in any position to comment on someone else’s sports car. He opened the passenger door and Emily got in. Quinn handed her the plastic bag with the undershirt and photograph before she accelerated out of there. As the car leapt forward, Emily’s seat belt tightened across her lap and neck. She yanked at it, but it locked in place, cinching her even more tightly.

“I know, that thing’s annoying,” Quinn said. “Don’t tug. Just ease it out. It’s like one of those finger toys. The harder you pull, the tighter you’re trapped.”

A finger toy. That was the perfect analogy for how Emily was becoming ensnared in Quinn’s drama. Emily relaxed, and sure enough, the seat belt loosened.

Quinn drove up the street, past the entrance to Mandarin Cliffs. Before she pulled onto the main street, she turned to Emily. “If they ask where we were last night, I was with you.”

“Of course. You were.”

“From six on. You didn’t leave until late.”

Emily gave Quinn a sideways look. Quinn was gripping the steering wheel, tendons strained in her neck.

Quinn added, “Because we’re in this together.”

In what together? Emily’s seat belt tightened, cutting into her neck again. She shifted her position and hooked her arm inside the seat belt strap, working it loose.