An image appeared in the black box. It took a moment for Archie to orient himself. The footage was at night and in black-and-white. But the center of the image was well lit by an outdoor post light, the shadow of a gargoyle, wings outstretched, alighted on its top. Archie could make out the embankment, part of the dock, the edge of the lake. He could even visualize which corner of the boathouse the camera was mounted to. It was not where he’d awoken that morning, but it was close.

Susan hit the play arrow.

Nothing happened.

“It’s not working,” Archie said.

“Yes, it is,” Susan said. “Nothing’s happening, so nothing’s happening.”

She was right. If he looked closely, he could see the tree branches moving, sequins of light reflected on the lake.

They watched for a few minutes, and then Archie said, “Fast forward.”

Susan clicked on the progress arrow and dragged it to the right and the image blinked by faster. Then Archie saw the jerky motions of bodies moving into the frame.

“Stop,” he said.

But Susan had already stopped.

They both stared at the frozen image on the screen. Archie tasted something salty and metallic in his mouth. Blood. He had bitten the inside of his cheek. He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Back it up,” he said.

The figures on the screen stepped backward out of the frame.

“Hit play again,” Archie said.

Susan looked over at him.

“Do it,” Archie said.

Susan hit a key.

For a long moment, there was just more nothing. The ferns moved in the night air. The lake sat cold. The dark ground was hard and silent. Archie wasn’t sure if the video had sound, but if it did there wasn’t any to hear anyway. He kept his eyes fixed on the screen. And then Archie stumbled into the frame. He recognized himself immediately. His head was down, chin knocking against his chest. He had his arm slung around a woman.

Archie’s chest tightened. He was only half aware of grabbing the edge of the countertop with his hand to steady himself.

The woman was supporting him, guiding him along, keeping him upright, like someone escorting a drunk home after a bender. She had her arm circled around his waist. Her hair was dark and fell past her shoulders. She was wearing a body-hugging evening gown with a deep V that cut down her chest almost to her navel and a slit that reached halfway up her thigh. Even though the video was in black-and-white, Archie knew that dress was red. The woman led him to the embankment and then lowered him to his knees. He teetered there, kneeling before her, leaning against her legs, until she knelt beside him and guided him gently onto his back on the ground.