He took a long breath. “No, I didn’t open the gate.”

Old Chou visibly relaxed. “Thank you, Peter.” His gaze passed over the group. “If nobody has anything else—”

“Wait,” Sanjay cut in.

Peter felt the air in the room tighten; even Walter seemed suddenly alert. Here it comes, thought Peter.

“Everyone here knows of your friendship with Alicia,” Sanjay said. “She is someone who confides in you. Would that be fair to say?”

Peter nodded warily. “I guess.”

“Has she in any way indicated to you that she knows this girl? Has seen her before, perhaps?”

A knot tightened in his stomach. “Why would you think that?”

Sanjay glanced at the others before returning his eyes to the front of the room. “There is a question, you see, of coincidence. You three were the last to return from the power station. And the story you tell, first about Zander and then Theo … well, you must admit it’s pretty strange.”

The anger Peter had been holding in check gave way. “You think we planned this? I lost my brother down there. We were lucky to get back alive.”

The room had grown very quiet again. Even Dana was looking at Peter with frank suspicion.

“So, for the record,” Sanjay said, “you are saying you don’t know the Walker, you’ve never seen her before.”

Suddenly it wasn’t about Alicia, he realized. The question was about him.

“I have no idea who she is,” he said.

Sanjay held his eyes on Peter’s face for what seemed like an unnaturally long moment. Then he nodded.

“Thank you, Peter. We appreciate your candor. You’re free to go.”

Just like that it was over. “That’s all?”

Sanjay had already busied himself with the papers before him. He looked up, frowning, as if surprised to find Peter still in the room. “Yes. For now.”

“You’re not going to … do anything to me?”

Sanjay shrugged; his mind had already moved on. “What do you want us to do?”

Peter felt an unexpected disappointment. Sitting outside with Alicia and Hollis, he’d felt a bond, a shared stake in the outcome. Whatever was going to happen would happen to them all. Now they had been separated.

“If it happened as you say, you’re not to blame. The blame is Caleb’s. Soo has said, and Jimmy agrees, that the stress of standing for your brother could be considered a factor here. Take a few more days before returning to the catwalk. After that, we’ll see.”

“What about the others?”