Dr Anderson made it look dangerous. She handled it competently, carefully, and then set it down on a soft foam layer she’d put on the table next to the box. Then she looked up, met Claire’s eyes, and said, ‘Have you checked it out? Any damage?’

‘No damage I can see,’ Claire said. ‘It still powers up.’

‘Excellent.’ Dr Anderson took a deep breath and nodded. ‘Right. Thanks, Jesse, Pete … I think we’ve got it from here. I know you need to get to work. Thanks for helping us out.’

‘You were right to be worried,’ Jesse said. ‘Someone’s watching her house. Big guy.’

‘That’s Derrick,’ Claire offered. ‘My housemate’s ex. It’s a personal thing. I don’t think he’s got any interest in what I do.’

‘Maybe not, but it’s worrying nevertheless,’ Dr Anderson said. ‘Someone could be using him as a stalking horse. He could even be passing his surveillance details along to a third party.’

Claire hadn’t thought of that; she did wonder how Derrick could afford to follow Liz here, and apparently spend all his time hanging out on the sidewalk. Didn’t he work? Surely he wasn’t wealthy enough to be that maliciously idle. It was a great question, she realised; it was something that wouldn’t have occurred to her in Morganville, but out here in the real world, it could be significant.

‘I’ll check him out,’ Jesse offered. ‘I didn’t like his vibe, Irene. Freaky. Not that standing around outside a house with two young women in it isn’t creepy on its own, of course.’ She smiled a little, and Dr Anderson smiled back, and Claire was struck by how … comfortable it seemed. As if they’d known each other a long time. There was also a little bit of challenge in it, too. That was a complicated friendship.

‘Want me to take the box away, Doc?’ Pete asked. It was the first thing he’d said, and Dr Anderson’s gaze broke off from Jesse’s and landed on him. ‘I mean, unless you want it for something. I can use it at the bar. We use ’em to put the recycling in.’

‘Commendable,’ Dr Anderson said, and when she smiled at him, it didn’t have half the wattage, though it was friendly enough. ‘By all means, unless Claire’s got some need for it …’

‘I’ve got boxes stacked to the ceiling,’ she said, and shook her head. ‘Take it.’