“Got any new friends, new hobbies?”

“Nope.”

“Catch any movies lately?”

“Nope.”

“Check any books out at the library?”

“Nope.”

She cocks her head to the side. “How about attending any neighborhood barbecues?”

“In March?”

She grins at me. “Sounds like your life is quieter than a church mouse’s.”

“Oh, it is,” I assure her. “It really, really is.”

She finally cuts to the chase, leaning forward, away from the doily, and planting her elbows on her knees. “I heard there was some excitement in the neighborhood.”

“I saw the cops,” I tell her. “Going door to door this morning.”

“You talk to them, Aidan?”

I shake my head. “Had to get to work. Vito tans my hide if I’m late. ’Sides,” I throw in defensively “I don’t know nothin’ ’bout nothin’.”

She smiles, and I can almost hear her thinking, Oh, if only I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that one.

I start pacing, quick, agitated steps. “I’m writing a letter,” I say abruptly, because she’s staring at me with that knowing PO sort of way, and you just have to say something when an authority figure stares at you that way.

“Yeah?”

“To Rachel,” I say. She won’t know who Rachel is, since it’s an alias and all, but that doesn’t stop her from nodding understandingly. “Gotta put into words how it feels to be helpless. Been tough to do, you know. Nobody likes to feel helpless. But I think I’m getting pretty good at it now. Think I’m gonna get a lot of quality time to know just what helpless feels like.”

“Talk to me, Aidan.”

“I didn’t do it! Okay? I didn’t do it. But this woman is gone, and I live five houses away, and I’m in the friggin’ sex offenders database, and that’s just it. Game over. Got pervert, will make arrest. Not like anyone’s gonna believe anything I say.”

“Did you know the woman, Aidan?”

“Not really. Just saw her around and all. But they got a kid. Saw that, too. And I’m following the rules. Don’t need no more trouble, not me. They have kids, I stay away.”

“I understand she’s very pretty.”

“Got a kid,” I say firmly, almost like a mantra, which hell, maybe it is.

“You’re nice-looking.” Colleen tilts her head as she says this, almost as if she’s appraising me, but I’m not fooled. “Living a quiet life, not getting out much. I can imagine how frustrating that must be for you.”

“Trust me, I whack off every day. Just ask my support counselor. She makes us tell her all about it.”

Colleen doesn’t flinch at my vulgarity. “What’s her name?” she asks abruptly.

“Whose name?”

“The woman.”

“Jones, I think. Something Jones.”