Then a few of his own business cards.

Data Analytics Enterprises.

It was a nothing sort of name. Forgettable. Borderline meaningless.

She got her phone out and searched for it and nothing looked right, so she searched again with the word “Queens” added and found an article dated yesterday: “Anonymous Tip Spurs Investigation of Several U.S. Data Brokers.”

Her eyes couldn’t focus, couldn’t read patiently.

A number of companies, including Data Analytics Enterprises in Queens, New York, have been implicated …

… illegal sale of data they collected through personality quizzes on various social media platforms …

… a highly unregulated field with little government oversight …

… often fly under the radar and use international data farms.

… tip purportedly came in the form of a text from an untraceable number but contained legitimate sources of information.

The water in the bathroom turned off. Ilanka went into the hall. “Mom?” she called out.

“Yeah?” from behind the bathroom door.

“I don’t want to be late,” she said. “I’m going to take the bus with Svetlana.”

“You sure?” Her mother appeared in the bathroom doorway in two towels—one around her body, the other swirled up around her hair. Steam whooshed like a startled ghost behind her.

“I’m sure,” Ilanka said.

She quickly got dressed, then grabbed her backpack and headed out.

Eli

ELI

Clancy’s looked more like a haunted house than a funeral home, but Eli didn’t mind. He liked the idea that his grandfather’s soul could linger here for a while if it wanted to—maybe woo-woo ethereally through empty viewing rooms and slam the occasional door.

Eli had mostly sat quietly beside his mom during the meeting with the funeral director, piping up just to help with some small decisions, like what design they wanted on the little laminated prayer cards they’d give out with his grandfather’s photo on it. Later, Eli’s parents were going to the church to make funeral mass arrangements, but for that, Eli was off the hook. When school got out, he’d be in charge of watching his sister, who had gone without too much fuss that morning, maybe not really understanding what was even happening. Their parents had promised her doughnuts after school if she just went today; then there would be a few days she’d have to miss.

Eli could not bring himself to go to school, so he went home after the funeral home meeting because he could, and he sat there alone.

Just sat.

He couldn’t think of the last time he’d sat in one place for so long, doing nothing but watching dust dance on the light coming through his blinds. No phone, no TV. So no Sims, no nothing.

No Aizel.

He started to feel like he might be losing his mind doing nothing except watching those particles—looking for patterns or signs.