“Are you kidding? She kept coming up with ways she could get in touch with you. I was like, are you out of your mind? He’s on trial. You got the whole world hunting for you, and you want to risk sending secret messages to some dude in jail?” Billy put up his hands. “No offense.”

Gibson waved him off. “None taken.”

“Why would she be mad at you?”

“For going after her dad.”

“Nah, man. She fucking loved you. Made me jealous. It was like . . . well, you could just see it. And anyway, she wasn’t what you’d call her dad’s biggest fan.”

“Really?” That wasn’t how Gibson remembered it at all. “Do you think Lombard knew? That she was pregnant?”

“No, I don’t think so. Suze wasn’t showing when she left. But I know she was real scared of what he’d do if he found out. How he’d go insane. Guy has a temper, apparently. She talked about how all he cared about was his career. What he’d make her do if he found out. About the baby. That’s why she had to get away from him.”

Gibson played out the story in his mind. Bear gets pregnant by her boyfriend, the mysterious Tom B., and decides to run out of fear for what Lombard would do if he found out. That much sounded plausible. But why enlist the help of Billy and not her boyfriend, Tom B.? Did Tom even know he was a father? Or was that exactly why he hadn’t come forward?

“So where are they now? Where’s Suzanne? Where’s the baby?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, Billy. It’s a hell of a story so far, but you need a better ending.”

Billy went to the fridge and took another beer and drank it, his back to Gibson, without taking a breath. Gibson watched him put the empty on the counter and drink another. Then he wheeled around and glared at Gibson, fire returning to his eyes.

“Listen, if I knew what happened to Suze, do you think you’d be here now? Why would I need you if I knew? I didn’t risk exposure, didn’t risk my life hacking into ACG so we could share this tender moment. I did it because I don’t know what happened to her, and it’s killing me. I loved her, man, but I failed her. I couldn’t take care of her like I said I would. Her baby—something wasn’t right. The last month she was always uncomfortable. She tried to hide it, but there was blood. She couldn’t get around, you know? I didn’t know what to do for her. Leaving her alone killed me. I wanted to take her to a hospital. I begged her so many times, but she was so damn stubborn.”

Billy was weeping now.