‘And, I mean, unless they had planned on going to the party themselves – they had to know you were going to be outside at some point.’

‘Well, I mean, I had to leave eventually. Maybe they were just waiting for that and got lucky.’

‘Hm.’

‘Yeah. Thank you for doing this, by the way.’

‘What?’

‘I don’t know. Just … caring. Believing me.’

‘No worries, my friend.’

‘Like … why?’ There I went. Wondering why anyone wanted anything to do with me when that wasn’t actually a conscious decision people made. ‘OK. That was a dumb question. Sorry. You don’t have to have a reason. It’s just that no one has really believed me so far.’

‘Listen. I don’t wanna get all heavy on you, but Alex – he’s gone, right? He’s gone, and there’s nothing that comes after that. And I have so many questions that’ll never be answered. Like, there’s some questions I probably don’t even know to ask. But you’ve got something here. I believe that there’s something to this. And if there’s even a chance you can find some answers? Find some peace? Some retribution? Then I don’t know. I’m happy to see that through with you. If there was a chance for me to find those same answers … I guess I’d want someone else by me too.’

I released a breath I’d been holding for four months. ‘That means a lot.’

‘Bitch, I should have recorded that. “Gerry, I got something for you!” Shit. Sorry. Are we friends enough for me to say bitch?’

I laughed. ‘Just barely. But. Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. For me, it’s like, and I guess it’s probably the same for you too – he kept this whole part of his life from me and I feel like if he hadn’t … it’s like, none of this would be happening.’

‘Yeah. Exactly.’

‘Something else in common, then.’

A small voice called for him in the background. ‘Coming, Mom! OK, gotta go, but let me know if you get any more texts. Actually, would you mind sending all of ’em over? Not that I’ll be able to figure anything out. But, you know. It’d be nice to have them on hand just in case anything else comes up.’

I did as he asked, secure in the decision and without any second thoughts; even though I hadn’t known him for long, Leo might as well have been a key out of a padded room.

He believed me. Because I bet he didn’t want to think the universe was capable of this, either, and he knew how helplessness felt.

He got it in the way Olivia didn’t.