There was a knock at the door, and Kiley Chambers popped her head in. “Helloooo, cupcakes,” she said. “Margot, can I borrow your Spanish notes? I was at a yearbook meeting, so I missed class.”

“Sure,” I said. “Hand me my backpack.”

Kiley shouldered Agatha off the bed and sat down next to me. She set a magazine on the pillow and picked my backpack up, handing it to me. While I dug through it for my Spanish binder, Agatha continued to wheedle.

“Just not today, all right?” I said.

“Then when?”

“When she’s ready,” Kiley said. “God, leave her alone.”

Kiley had become extra-protective of me. I’ve heard of some cultures where, if someone saves your life, you’re their servant. Kiley had inverted that. I think she took seriously the idea that it had been her number I called that night, her quick thinking and calling the police that had saved my life (and probably Agatha’s, too), and that made her feel like she was my bodyguard.

Agatha sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the magazine. “He’s just in such a weird mood since we saw Mom last week. It’s making me sad.”

“Even if he’s sad, it’s not Margot’s job to make him feel better.” Kiley made a face. “How’s your mom?”

“Same.” Agatha shrugged and her voice became clipped, as it always did when Laura came up. “Won’t talk. Just sits there. Mad at us for selling the house, I guess.”

In her ranting when the police found her, Laura had inadvertently confessed to murdering Lily. Whoops. Now she was locked away, pretty much for life.

At the state institution, of all places.

We could have been roommates, I thought, when the court’s decision came through.

“Well, sorry,” Kiley said, “but that’s what you get when you try to murder children. You get your fancy old house sold.”

“Stop, Ky,” Agatha said quietly. And Kiley, who was actually an excellent friend, stopped. She picked up her magazine, and I glanced at it.

“Hey, can I see that?” I pulled it out of her hands and turned it over. The ad on the back cover was a picture of a model holding up a new phone to take a selfie.

It was Tam.

“I know this girl,” I said. “I met her at the group home.”

“She loves that phone,” Kiley said.

“She’s pretty,” Agatha said.

Yeah, she was. I stared at it for a few more seconds.

“Keep it, if you want,” Kiley said with a shrug. “I don’t care.”

“Thanks,” I said, tucking it onto my shelf.

After Kiley left, I turned to Agatha. “I’ll see him,” I said. “Soon. But not yet, okay?”

Agatha frowned. “Okay.”

“Soon,” I said.

She sat down next to me and sighed. “No, no, take your time. He can wait.”