She looks at the text list. A note Marland sent to NF—presumably Ned Frimpong. Asking for a meeting, making promises. Things they wouldn’t have said in the game because that might have been on the game companies’ servers.

And another series of texts.

To ANYA.

The name freezes her on the spot. She stares at it, as though it is a ghost that has taken form. It can’t be. Anya is dead, killed by Danielle, left dead and cold in the Russian winter. She makes a noise in her throat and her chest, and Peter reaches out and touches her. Iris flinches. She turns away from him.

To Anya: I’ve made contact with NF. Have a sense now of the size of the operation he’s running. It’s small, just trading prescription drugs among friends. R U sure you’re interested?

Anya, to Marland: Yes. Make his operation bigger. Supply him. I want it to start to attract attention.

Marland, to Anya: All right it’s your money. Will see how JP is involved.

Anya, to Marland: If she’s not involved, make her involved. Draw her in. Or make it look like she’s involved.

JP, Iris thinks. Julia Pollitt. A few days later, another spate of texts:

Marland, to Anya: JP knows about NF’s operation, he told her; I listened in via the microphone on his regular cell. She tried to talk him out of doing this, he didn’t listen, and he tried to get her involved because I told NF I’d double the payments if he got a student no one would suspect to be involved, as a front. She said no. But she hasn’t called the police, Ned and she were at a movie, he asked to borrow her phone to make a call, passed it to me outside the theater, I hacked it to monitor her calls. She has not called the police on him. He uses this game so many of the kids play as a code and a messenger system. Various drugs have nicknames tied to the game “Critterscape.” I’m sure he thinks he’s being super clever but it’s generating a record of communications we can use.

Anya, to Marland: Whatever it takes. Does his mother know about his activities?

Marland: Not that I can determine.

Anya: Good. I want to tell her myself, perhaps. Let her know her son has no future.

Marland: I’ll let you know what I find.

Iris forgets to breathe until there’s a tightness in her chest. Anya. Here. Watching Danielle. Watching Julia. Which meant she was watching…

Anya: The younger child. Grant. Is he involved with Julia and Ned’s dealings?

Marland: No indication of it.

Anya: Good. Other than Julia, stay away from that family as much as you can. Other plans for them. I’ll send you instructions.