Dan gestured next door and came up alongside Neil. Nicky shifted like he wanted to throw himself between Higgins and his cousins, but he hesitated too long. Higgins rapped loudly on the door and waited. Neil didn't want to get any closer to Higgins than he already was, but he couldn't see Andrew's door well enough from here. He kept his eyes on Higgins as he edged down the hall. Higgins glanced back at the movement, but the door opening distracted him.

Unsurprisingly, it was Andrew who investigated the authoritative knock. He only got the door halfway open before he realized who was standing in the hallway. Neil heard the doorknob creak in warning as Andrew twisted it further than it was meant to go. It was a startling giveaway considering Andrew's wide smile and the breezy tone of his voice.

"Oh, I must be imagining things. Pig Higgins, you are a very, very long way from home."

"Andrew," Higgins said. "We need to talk."

"We talked, remember?" Andrew said. "I told you not to bother me."

"You said not to call you," Higgins said. "Just give me a few minutes, won't you, for old times' sake? I came all the way out here to see you. Doesn't that get me any sort of consideration?"

Andrew shook his head with a laugh. "You didn't come out here for me. You came on a witch hunt I already said I wouldn't help you with. Give me one good reason to not cut your throat, would you?"

Dan hissed under her breath, but Higgins looked completely unfazed by the threat. "I was wrong. I know that now. The investigation on him turned up nothing."

"I warned you," Andrew said, unsympathetic.

Higgins held out a hand like he thought Andrew would shut the door in his face. "We were looking at the wrong person, weren't we? I think I've got it right this time, but I can't do anything without a complaining witness. The other kids won't speak up. They don't trust me that much. You're all I've got."

That got Andrew's attention. "Kids? Kids, plural. You only mentioned one last time, Pig. How many are you talking about? How many has she had?"
"You wouldn't care about the number unless there really was something there for me to find," Higgins said, quiet and accusing. "Just yes or no, Andrew. That's all I want. That's all I need right now. I'll give you a name, you give me an answer, and I promise I'll go away."

"You promise." Andrew sounded highly entertained by the notion. "You'll break that promise inside a week, Pig. Don't pretend otherwise. Do I have to walk you out to make sure you leave or will you—"

"Drake," Higgins said.