“You know, stuff about all the conspiracy theories.”

Matt looked at her, gave a small shake of the head. He was probably the only person in the country who hadn’t kept up with the case. The vast conspiracies from the talking heads and internet detectives, grown men and women with too much time on their hands.

“They asked if I’d ever seen any of the Hayes family in town, if I thought they’d have a reason to hurt your family.” The Smasher’s family. Matt had watched the documentary—just once, which was enough—but he’d never forget that sinister brood.

Jessica went on, “One of the reporters had super-weird questions. Asked if I’d heard rumors that Charlotte was still alive, that she faked her death to get away from her dad. Or was taken by sex traffickers.”

Matt snorted. “The tabloids…”

“He said he was with the Chicago Tribune.”

Matt shook his head in disgust.

“They wanted to talk with Ricky, but I wouldn’t let them.”

“Why would they want to talk to your brother?”

“Didn’t you watch the documentary? Ricky was the one who identified the Unknown Partygoer.”

Matt had no recollection of that. More memory gaps. “If he identified the U.P., which helps my brother’s case, then why did he say those things tonight about—”

“I told you, he gets confused.”

When he saw the yellow glow of her house’s porchlight in the distance, Matt experienced a moment of déjà vu.

Jessica must’ve felt it too. “You remember that night we met here?” she asked.

“A little,” Matt said. Just the softness of your lips, the volcano erupting inside me, the feeling I’ve been chasing since I was fourteen years old, before loneliness settled into my bones.

“You?” Matt asked.

“A little,” Jessica said in a playful tone that acknowledged they both were lying.

Without thinking it through, Matt asked, “Did you see anything that night? Anything unusual?”

She considered him. “Like, what do you mean?”

He made no reply.

“All I remember is you and me, right here.” She seemed to blush, since they were standing near the spot of the famous kiss. “And then later hearing Ricky’s truck pull up. He was drunk and had no business driving. He and his date were fighting.”

She looked up at him now, as she had that night. Matt had the urge to pull her close, to kiss her. She had a similar look in her eyes.

“It was great to see you, Jessica,” Matt said, breaking the spell. He held out his hand for a shake.

The corner of her mouth turned upward. “It was good to see you too, Matthew. Let’s not make it another seven years.” She turned and vanished into the darkness, just like she’d done that night.