His gaze is still cautious, but he follows my lead. “It’s always been sort of tough on her that her mom’s this world-famous actress. And her dad’s away a lot.”

“Does his traveling keep them from being close? Emotionally, I mean.”

“It’s more than that.” His pupils seem to twitch, his whole body subtly vibrating with the conflict inside of him. “He’s been having an affair with someone he works with. Cameron’s been mad at him, and worried about her mom.”

I nod to encourage him, pretending he hasn’t surprised me. “Do you think this is the first time he’s cheated? Or maybe just the first time she’s known about it?”

“Cameron says he’s always been this way. But now it’s worse. His girlfriend is pregnant and she’s going to have the baby. Did her parents tell you that? Maybe I shouldn’t even talk about it. I don’t know.”

I try not to overreact. A baby? How could that have not thrown Cameron over the edge? “You can say anything,” I tell him. “There’s no way to get in trouble here. Cameron is your best friend. It’s natural that you keep her secrets and she keeps yours. That’s what best friends do.”

“The sheriff has come to talk to me a few times. I’ve been really confused.”

“Of course you have,” I say. “You want to protect Cameron. But, Gray, there might be things you know that can help us find her. Do you think you can be a little more open with us?”

I feel him tensing on the beanbag, wondering if he can trust me, if it’s really okay to say what he’s been holding on to. “Cameron had a lot of hard stuff coming up. Not just about her parents.”

“Personal stuff,” I echo.

“Yeah.”

The door opens and Will is there. I feel myself deflate almost audibly. In an interview, it’s rarely the first or second or third thing the subject says that’s important. Real disclosure takes time. Takes patience in the unpeeling. And Gray has been close to telling the truth.

“Hey,” Will says, taking a seat on the bed. “What did I miss?”

I glance at Gray and he nods almost imperceptibly. “We’re just talking about Cameron’s parents. Her dad’s affair. Seems like the situation is more complicated than we thought.”

“Oh yeah?”

I look to Gray again for some sign of assent before saying, “Troy’s girlfriend is pregnant.”

“Oh wow. That’s a lot.”

Gray says, “Please don’t tell her parents I said anything.”

“You have perfect anonymity with us,” Will assures him.

“This is what I mean, Gray. This is how you can help Cameron.”