And Im so sorry, Rachel said, but I have to ask: if were going to hear something on here thats going to paint you in a negative light, its going to be much better for you if you tell us now. But even as she said this, her final suspicions of Lisa had pretty much shriveled away. She found it very difficult to imagine this woman trying to convince someone to kill themselves.

No, she said in almost a whisper. Nothing like that. She didnt seem to take offense to the notion, apparently understanding that they were just doing their job.

Then could you please play them in order, from oldest to most recent? Rachel asked.

Shelby nodded, made a few clicks on her trackpad, and Lisas voice came through the laptop speakers. Better Days Prevention Hotline, New York. This is Lisa. Who am I speaking to this evening?

My names Joseph. Or just Joe.

It wasnt just hearing the voice of a dead man through those little laptop speakers that chilled Rachel; it was also recalling how his wife had called him Joe. She continued to listen, the four of them basically frozen in place as they listened to the call.

Joe, what are you up to this evening?

Well, Im thinking about heading over to the Manhattan Bridge and jumping.

Can you tell me what makes you want to do that?

There was a moments pause, and then a few huffs of breath that Rachel thought were the sounds of someone holding back sobs. Because I cant beat this…I cant get past this depression and Im just so damned sick of it.

How long have you been dealing with it? Lisa asked.

They listened to the entirety of the call, all eleven minutes of it. Rachel was beyond impressed with the way Lisa maneuvered the conversation. She never told him flat out that he was making a mistake and, on more than one occasion, had Joseph Staunton talking about things other than his depression and suicide plansnamely his son and his wife. And even Rachel had to agree that when the call had ended, Lisa had done an excellent job. Joseph sounded almost embarrassed when they ended the call, thanking her profusely.

Questions? Shelby asked before starting the second call.

No, Rachel said. In fact, Im amazed at how well you did, Lisa. When Lisa seemed to barely acknowledge the compliment, Rachel felt certain she knew how the other two calls were going to go.

However, when Shelby started the second call and they got deeper into Nicholas Hardings call, the entire feel of it was different. It was clear that Harding was in a very dark place. There was nothing rehearsed or attention-seeking about it. He was just hopeless and angry. Rachel pitied Lisa for having to listen to it.