Jesse smiled and slid a thumb toward her short, easily overlooked friend. He was built like a bulldog, but he had a pleasant face, and he gave her a weary smile and wave. ‘Pete. I’m Jesse,’ the redhead said. ‘So. We’re taking you to Dr Anderson, right? Let’s get going. Got places to be, yo.’

‘Let me get my bag,’ Claire said. ‘Come in.’

Pete and Jesse shook their heads, almost in unison. ‘Got to keep an eye on the car,’ Pete said. ‘This neighbourhood, we’ll get ticketed if we don’t stay right here.’

‘Oh.’ Claire hadn’t thought of that; there was a car sitting down at the kerb, shiny and dark blue. It had tinting and what looked like death metal decals – Jesse’s ride, probably. ‘I just need to lock this door, that’s all.’ Because she had a horror now of leaving it open, even though she didn’t think Jesse and Pete would let Derrick slip inside while she was gone.

‘I’ll go in, and Jesse can stay out here and guard the car,’ Pete offered. ‘Is this thing you’ve got heavy?’

‘A little,’ Claire said. ‘It’s not bad.’

Jesse patted Pete’s shoulder. ‘Let my man here carry it, he loves showing off his muscles for the ladies.’

‘Don’t be sexist. I flex for guys too.’

‘Yeah, but not with so much style.’ Jesse winked. ‘Go on, you. I’ll tackle the metre maid if necessary.’

Claire led Pete upstairs, pointed out the box, and Pete very happily (and super easily) picked it up and got it down the long flights without a problem. ‘So, you’re just moving in, right?’ he said. ‘New student?’

‘Does it show?’

‘Not as much as most. I don’t see a lot of kitten posters and boy bands on the walls up there.’

Claire almost laughed. ‘Not my style. Though if you know of any place I can get a sparkly unicorn poster …’

‘Ask Jesse,’ he said, and stood aside as she opened up the door. ‘She’s the sparkly unicorn fancier.’

He said it loudly enough that Claire figured it was bait for Jesse to respond, and the redhead probably normally would have done it, but she was standing very still, facing away. This time of year, and with the height of the buildings, the sky was a dusky blue, well into twilight, and Claire couldn’t see much farther than the other side of the street, so she couldn’t figure out what had attracted Jesse’s undivided attention.

Then a streetlight flickered on, shedding a cold pale light over concrete, a fireplug at the corner, some trash bags … and a man standing on the sidewalk, leaning against a wall, watching them.

‘Friend of yours?’ Jesse asked. She sounded calm and relaxed, still, but her body language said something different.