“He thought it was me,” Andrea said. There was a groan in the sky: somewhere above the clouds, a jet was passing through. Andrea tipped her head upward but couldn’t see it. Then her gaze drifted to Lauren, who had a strange, haunted expression on her face. “What?”

“I was thinking about one of the things Graham said. One of the reasons he said he didn’t tell anyone he dated Piper was that she asked him not to. And he obliged because he wanted to protect her reputation. Then he gave me some bullshit about how people around here talk and how Piper had a certain brand. But you know what I think? I think it’s about their son. His son. Graham never sees that North kid. I can’t . . . That’s what people would talk about. The deadbeat dad who left his wife to care for a kid all on her own. Living in the same town, not even seeing his son.” Her voice broke. “It’s more for his reputation, not hers.”

A gust of wind kicked up, blowing an empty plastic bag through the air. Andrea thought back to going to Piper’s office for that meeting about the drawing, how the woman had lurched forward to show her a picture of North even though she hadn’t asked to see one. There had been something forced about her actions, something Andrea couldn’t put her finger on. Why wouldn’t a man see his own son? Was he like how her wife, Christine, had been, someone who didn’t want kids in the first place? Except Graham had a new baby now . . .

“How old is Piper’s son, anyway?” Ronnie asked, breaking the silence.

“Thirteen.” Lauren laughed bitterly. “Graham would have been, Jesus, twenty-seven. No wonder he didn’t want the responsibility.”

“You know, I remember asking the police if they’d spoken to the kid, how he was doing,” Ronnie said. “And he sort of deflected my question. He was like, ‘I’m sure he’s fine.’ But when I pressed—why didn’t they know he was fine—he brushed me off.”

Andrea’s head whipped up. “What are you thinking?”

“I got this weird sense they didn’t know where he was,” Ronnie said. “Or maybe that he wasn’t cooperating.”

“Maybe he saw something,” Lauren said quietly. “Or knows something.” Then her eyes widened. “Or did something?”

Everyone was silent. Thoughtful.