“You changed a lot of things since I left.”

“Yes.”

“I’m amazed you let me in.”

“Frankly, so am I.”

“Why?”

“Why?” she says, as if the word has an unusual flavor.

“Why did you help me? Why did you let me sleep in your bed?”

She doesn’t blink, but her eyes go someplace far away for a few seconds. “For a long time, Jack, I realized I had two choices when dealing with you. Be mean and chew away all the weakness so that only the strong stuff is left. Or be kind and hope that this brings out the good. For a long time I’ve employed the former strategy, but I decided to give the latter a try for a change.”

“Thank you. I think.”

She reaches into her pocket and removes a key and finally approaches him. “I also need your help.” He can tell that she’s wary; she’s studying him carefully, as if he might kick at her. “Will you help me?”

“How come we never did this before, huh?” He manages a smile. “The handcuffs? Could have been fun.”

She narrows her eyes, and because her mouth is hidden from view, he can’t tell if she’s smiling. Even though she was mostly humorless, never making jokes herself, he used to be able to startle a laugh out of her. She twists the key and he shakes off the cuffs, then rubs his wrists. “I still can’t believe you let me sleep in your bed.”

“It was the only place I could securely handcuff you. Besides the toilet.”

His body is stiff when he swings his legs off the bed. “I know I’m probably pushing my luck on charity, but can you get me something to wear? And eat? I’m starving.”

A minute later, he is pulling on a robe and taking in big gulps of clean cool air, then he follows her out of the room and down the hall. But he stumbles to a stop in front of the next bedroom even as she continues on to the top of the stairs. She turns to watch as he sets his hand on the knob—and then startles back as a needle of static electricity shocks him.

He doesn’t ask for permission but looks her way. She gives a nod. He pushes open the door and a blast of sunlight hits him and makes him throw up an arm to shade his face.