“And then what? What’s the endgame here?” Jasper asks. He has retreated to the wall, arms crossed again. “Think about how hard it was for you to get out before, Wylie, and that was alone. Now you think you’re going to be able to walk out with a bunch of other girls? Why don’t you send those emails to a newspaper or TV station or something? Get them on the case.”

“Just an FYI,” Riel says. “It’s not like the press is always some avenging angel. Sometimes they care about the shit you want them to care about. And sometimes they don’t.”

“They’re running out of time, Jasper.” I look away from him and back at the computer. “I have to try. Even if I can’t get them out, I can at least warn them about what’s going on. I have to do that much.”

Riel waves Jasper and me away. “In the meantime, both of you back off and argue over there so I can get to work. I’ll tell you when I have something.”

Leo comes to take our place, putting a protective hand on the back of Riel’s neck. I am surprised when she seems to soften instead of knocking it away.

“I’M NOT TRYING to be negative,” Jasper says once we’ve drifted back over to the kitchen table and sat down. He won’t look me in the eye and he is clenching his jaw. “But there’s no point in doing something that puts you at risk and doesn’t help them.”

I reach over, put my hand over Jasper’s and squeeze his fingers. It feels so much less awkward than I expect it to. Because what else is there? There is nothing I can say that is going to make him understand why I am going to do this. “I need to do it.”

Jasper is about to argue with me anyway when there’s a loud knock at the front door, on the far side of the living room. We all freeze. Stare in the direction of the door. Even Riel’s hands hover above the keys. Her face is tight in the light from the computer screen.

“Shit,” she whispers, looking toward the door.

“I didn’t see any lights,” Leo whispers.

“My grandfather’s office.” Riel motions for us to go. “I’ll get rid of them.”

Even from the other side of the kitchen I can feel that she’s not so sure.

“Coming! Hold on!” Riel shouts without moving, buying us time. “I’ll be right there!”