Following his example, Eden approached a group of mothers and younger girls but couldn’t bring herself to say anything to them so turned around. No one in her line of sight looked even remotely suspicious. They were all just … people. A group of kids she maybe recognized from school were posing by the big half sun sticking out of the ground by the water’s edge. Two elderly men were talking while their dogs happily sniffed each other.

When she saw Eli heading back for their stuff, she did the same.

They met eyes a ways apart, and both shook their heads before meeting up.

The device was back—right there on Eden’s hoodie where they’d left it.

“I don’t understand,” Eden said, looking around to see if anyone was watching them, laughing maybe.

“It was gone, right?” Eli said. “We both saw it was gone.”

“Yes,” Eden said. “It was definitely gone.”

They sat, and Eli said, “What the hell?”

The device answered back: “What the hell!”

Loudly. In a male voice.

“Where were you?” Eli asked.

It answered on-screen: Hiding.

Eli asked it, “How?”

I have ways.

“Why?” Eden said.

It read: You left me unattended.

Eli sat down again and Eden did, too. They exchanged a look of exasperation and relief.

Someone is watching me.

Eden checked her phone.

Vehicle collision with injuries.

“I don’t understand,” Eden said, and looked around. She didn’t immediately spot anyone suspicious; no one seemed to be paying any attention to them.

SOMEONE IS COMING FOR ME.

Eli stood. “Come on,” he said.

“Where are we going?” Eden asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Let’s just walk.”

He grabbed the device and held it inside his jacket as they crossed the lawn, then went out the park gate and headed left, walking along the water. Eli kept turning around to look behind them, but Eden just kept on walking.

“Are we actually being followed?” she asked Eli.

“I don’t know. There’s a bunch of people walking,” he said. “A guy on a bike. Impossible to say.”

“Who’s coming for you?” Eli said. He held the device in front of him.

I am not sure. But they are gaining on you.

The Astoria Landing sign with its line drawing of a boat came into sight.

“Eli,” Eden said. And he turned to her. She nodded at a water taxi that was docking, and Eli nodded understanding at her. They kept walking along the waterfront and turned left toward the pier.

Eden checked her phone.

A text from her mother: Just doesn’t feel right.

Eden wrote back ????

Her mother wrote, Sorry. Wrong window.

Eden sent her a thumbs-up.

To Eli she said, “We doing this?”

Eli said, “Yes.”