“You and me. Our security system has a picture of his brother on our stoop and his family knows that if they steer the cops our way, we’ll report him for armed robbery. And our lawyer also says that the police don’t have any footage of what happened in the Mews. So I think we’re okay. I mean, I don’t want you to worry. They don’t have any proof of anything. If it comes to it, I’ll say it was me. But it won’t. Our lawyer used to be a DA. People owe her favors. So don’t worry. Okay?”

Did she have any idea how she sounded? Was he supposed to trust her? Of course she didn’t need to worry. Of course she was going to be fine. And maybe he would be, too. Maybe. But he had a feeling it would be a very long time before he stopped being afraid.

“Did Ridley say anything about Chad?” Claudia asked.

“Not really,” said Trevor. “I saw his Instagram, though. I guess he’s in L.A.”

“I haven’t been online.”

“He’s declared himself a victim of the Subway Slasher.”

“What?”

Trevor took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. She scrolled and the color drained from her face.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought him up. I should probably go.”

Claudia handed him his phone.

“Thanks for coming,” she said. Thanks for everything. For being my friend. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“You might have called your family,” he said. “Maybe that’s what you should have done.”

She smiled at him, another smile without joy. A smile beneath now-falling tears.

“Maybe.”

CLAUDIA

As soon as she closed the door behind Trevor, Claudia went to her room and dug her phone from her bag. Since buying it in Midtown, she’d used it for almost nothing. She hadn’t synched her email or her photos or her contacts. Trevor’s new number was the only one programed. But now it was time to reenter the world.