“You look totally freaked out,” Steven says. “Do you want me to tell him you’re not home or something?”

“No, that’s okay. It’s just so weird to have my professor at my door. And he didn’t say what it’s about?”

“No.” Steven shrugs. “Maybe it’s some shit from class. Like he forgot to give you an assignment or something.”

“He can just e-mail us all. Or use Blackboard.”

“That’s true.” Steven rubs his chin. “Maybe it’s about that student who died. You said you knew her. Did he?”

His guess makes as much sense as anything. Rebecca saw Madeline at Hoffman’s house. Madeline was an English major. Is that why Hoffman is here? Are they getting in touch personally with every student to reassure them? To calm them down or give them counseling?

“Do you want me to get rid of him?” Steven asks.

“No,” Rebecca says. “I’ll go talk to him. He’s going to direct my thesis now. Maybe it’s about that.”

“Sure. Just yell if you need something. Mikaila’s watching Netflix, and I have Psych homework. Okay? But I’m listening.”

“Thanks, Steven.”

Rebecca walks across the living room to the closed front door. Could Steven have misunderstood who is waiting out there hoping to speak to her?

She takes a deep breath on her side of the door and pulls it open.

Hoffman is on the landing, wearing a heavy green parka that looks like it came from an army surplus store. He smiles when he sees her, his hands clasped together in front of his body.

“Rebecca. I’m so sorry to barge in on you like this and at this late hour. Do you have just a moment to talk to me? Your boyfriend didn’t seem certain if you were home or not.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” she says as if that matters. “He’s my roommate’s boyfriend.”

“Ah, I see. Well . . . time for a quick chat?”

“Sure. I guess. Come in.”

Hoffman hesitates. He looks past Rebecca into the apartment. “Well, I’d rather . . . Can you get a coat and step out here? I was hoping to speak privately. And you seem to have company.”

Rebecca feels her heart jump into a higher gear. If he wants to talk outside, it must be something personal, right? If he wants to reassure her about Madeline’s death, why not come inside and do it?

Can she say no to a professor, even on her own doorstep? Does she want to risk pissing him off when he’s about to direct her thesis?

“Okay,” she says. “Let me get my coat.”

It takes her a minute to walk to her room, grab her coat, and come back out. On her way, Steven sticks his head out of the bedroom again. “Everything okay?”

“I think so. I’m just going outside with him for a minute.”