No contact numbers, no messages, no call log. There was nothing left on it, Sebastian covered his tracks. Rory huffed, tapped the phone on his chin, then reopened it, and typed in Erica’s number. She didn’t pick up, and he tried again.

“Please,” he whispered.

“I haven’t had an accident, and I don’t wanna buy anything.”

Her voice was croaky, and Rory sat upright. “What’s he done now?”

“Rory?”

“What’s Danny done?”

“Nothing.”

“You sound like you’ve been crying?”

“No, no, wait a sec.”

Rory frowned at the sound of a rustle, then Erica very obviously blew her nose.

“I’ve got a cold. Had it for a few days, it’s hell.”

“Hot lemon, honey and a dash of—”

“Chili, I know, dad’s specialty, but I can’t make it the same, and when Danny tried my tongue caught fire. Hey, why did you assume Danny had upset me?”

“Thought you might have fought about the car again.”

“No, no fight. In fact, we’re getting a new one, picked it together.”

“What is it?”

“Sexy soft-top Porsche.”

Rory rolled his eyes. “I think you’re too young for a mid-life crisis, but I guess he’s not.”

A distorted laugh made it to Rory’s ear.

“We took it for a test drive, and it won me over. It’s gonna be our first baby.”

“I can’t be an uncle to a car.”

“Uncle to the car, see if you can handle the responsibility, then maybe in a few years, uncle to a baby. That’s enough about me, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“The spying’s going okay?”

Rory nipped his lip, then mumbled, “It’s harder than I thought.”

“Where are you?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“When can I see you?”

“I don’t know.”

Erica sighed. “There was a lot of point to this call then…”

“I wanted to hear your voice.”

“When you say things like that, I get worried.”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to worry you.”

Sebastian started coughing outside the cell, and it got progressively louder. “Erica, I’ve got to go.”

“Already?”

“Yeah, love you.”

He hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket just before the door swung open.

“What you doing in here?”

Rory placed his hand on his stomach. “Feeling rough.”

“You keep this door open.”

“Sorry.”

The guard glared at him, then backed away. Sebastian walked in a minute later, folded his arms over his chest, and raised his eyebrows.

“So you didn’t rush out to save me…”

Rory snorted. “Yeah, sorry.”

He handed the phone over, and Sebastian promptly crouched and slipped it down his sock.

“Feeling any better?”

“Yeah, I am actually.”

“Who did you call?”

Rory averted his gaze. “A friend.”

“Oh, I see, that kinda friend…”

“No, not that ‘kinda friend’, whatever that even means.”

“Like a lover on the outside.”

“Definitely not.”