"Higgins said something about needing Andrew as a witness," Dan said. "He didn't say what for and Andrew still won't give me a straight answer. He just told us to stay out of it or else."

Dan didn't ask Neil, obviously not expecting him to know what was going on. Neil didn't know the finer details, but he'd asked Andrew about Higgins' phone call a couple weeks ago. Children's Services opened an investigation on one of Andrew's former foster fathers. Andrew told Neil they wouldn't find anything. He hadn't said there was something to find if only they'd looked at the right person.

Neil didn't know who Drake was to Andrew or what he'd done, but Higgins obviously hit a nerve with that name. He wondered if Andrew was finally willing to cooperate or if Higgins could otherwise compel him to testify. It had to be a big case; Higgins must be desperate if he'd crossed the country on his own dime for a lead. Neil said nothing about it to the others, though. Andrew hadn't given away any of Neil's secrets, so Neil wouldn't give up his.

The best he could do was change the subject. "Before I forget, Andrew said I could invite you to the Halloween party at Eden's Twilight. It's on the twenty-seventh."
Matt dropped his sandwich back to his plate with a splat. "Bullshit."

"Andrew doesn't socialize with us," Dan said.

"He's making an exception," Neil said. "He doesn't think you'll come but he says it's okay if you do. I know we've got a game that night, but it's a home game, so we should get to Columbia a bit after ten. Will you come?"

Dan and Matt exchanged incredulous looks, but Renee said, "I'll go. Allison?"

"You want us to party with the monsters?" Allison asked. Renee only smiled. Allison clicked her manicured nails together as she thought, then lifted one shoulder in a shrug and picked at her lunch. "It could be interesting, I suppose. The campus party scene got boring two years ago. Dan, we're going."

"How the hell did you talk Andrew into this?" Dan asked, staring at Neil.

"I asked," Neil said.

"And he agreed just like that?" Matt asked, skeptical.

"He implied you were the harder party to convince," Neil said.

"Oh, did they tell you that story?"

Matt didn't sound worried, but Neil said, "No. Andrew's more interested in how you'd tell it, he said. But I'm not going to ask. It's not my business."

"Why not? You're the only one here who doesn't know, and I know you've seen these already. It's not like they're subtle."