3:59

THIRTY-SEVEN

7:00 P.M.

JOSIE MADE IT JUST IN TIME FOR DINNER.

Mr. Byrne was already seated at the table when Josie burst into the house. “Perfect timing.” He smiled at her warmly. “I’m glad to see you’re finally making an attempt at punctuality.”

So Jo was flakey with time. Good to know.

Teresa arrived the moment Josie sat down at the table with an enormous tray of homemade lasagna. A bowl of string beans was already on the table. She served both, silently as usual, then disappeared back into the kitchen.

“So?” Mr. Byrne asked. She could tell he was trying to sound casual. “How did it go?”

“Better.”

“Yes?”

Josie nodded. “She knew who I was.”

Mr. Byrne caught his breath. “I knew it. I knew she was improving. Dr. Cho said it was probably just false hope on my part, that her psyche was too damaged from the effects of the explosion, but I knew. I could just tell last time I saw her that there was something . . . more.”

Josie’s heart ached. He was so excited at the idea that his wife was getting better. The worry lines above his forehead instantly disappeared, and that pinched look around his eyes vanished. He looked ten years younger, and even more like Josie’s own carefree dad. She felt guilty that she was hiding something from him, even if it was for his own good.

He leaned toward her. “Thank you, princess. We’re going to get your mom back. I promise.”

Speaking of . . . “Daddy?” Josie put down her fork and folded her hands in front of her. “That place she’s in. Old St. Mary’s. It’s . . .”

“Awful,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I know. But she was part of a Grid-sponsored experiment at the time of the accident, dealing with top secret information. They need to keep her at a secure facility for her own safety.”

Josie was tempted to bring up the scars on her mom’s arms and legs, but she didn’t want to have to explain to Mr. Byrne how she knew what they were, and besides, the poor man really didn’t need something else weighing on his mind. “Is there any way we can get her out of there? Moved somewhere closer to home?”

Mr. Byrne rubbed his chin. “It’s not like I haven’t tried, princess. But Dr. Cho feels like it’s the best environment for your mom.”

Best environment for them to get what they want out of her, more like it.

“But,” he continued, “if your mom shows signs of improvement, I don’t see why we couldn’t move her close by. Heck, maybe even bring her home permanently.” His eyes lit up at the idea.

“Awesome.”

“I can definitely make a few phone calls tomorrow.” He laughed softly. “What’s the point of having all my connections at the Grid if I can’t pull a few strings once in a while?”

Josie beamed. “Oh, and one more thing, Daddy.”

“Yes?”

“You know how you offered Nick a job up at Fort Meade?”

Mr. Byrne laughed. “Of course.”

“Well, he was thinking he might be interested.” That would be news to Nick when she told him. “And we were wondering if maybe you could arrange a tour of the Grid? Maybe an interview?”

“Yes, of course. Absolutely! Tomorrow after school?”

“That,” Josie said with a smile, “would be perfect.”

3:59 A.M.

“Hello, Nick,” Jo says. She’s waiting by his car in the parking lot, leaning against the trunk.

Nick’s eyes grow wide. He scans her from head to foot and back again.

“Oh. Hey, Josie.”

Jo smiles. It has taken her days to put together a decent outfit in Josie’s closet, and this is the first time she’s felt as if she might actually catch Nick’s attention. A tight, low-cut halter, hip-hugger jeans, and a pair of wedge sandals that look as if they’ve never been worn. Jo knows Nick has never seen his ex-girlfriend look quite like this.

“I’ve missed you,” Jo says. She pushes off the car with a thrust of her pelvis and snakes her way over to Nick. He stands frozen, his eyes locked on to hers as she places a hand on his chest and slowly traces it down the front of him. “I’ve missed every part of you.”

“Josie?” Nick says. His voice is husky. “Wh-what’s gotten into you?”

Jo smiles. “Oh, you know. With all those unexplained murders recently, I’ve just been reevaluating my life. What I want. Who I want.”

“Oh.”

“Didn’t you hear?” Jo says. She hooks a finger into Nick’s belt loop. “Two more bodies found this morning. That makes six this week alone.”

Nick takes a step toward her. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess that would make you question . . . things.”

Jo leans forward, pressing her chest into his. “Do you want me to show you what I’ve been thinking about?”

Nick swallows. His head bends down to meet Jo’s upturned face. She can feel his want and she smiles to herself. That was too easy. What was wrong with Josie that she couldn’t keep him?

His lips graze her own when suddenly, his body stiffens.

“Nick!” Madison races across the parking lot and pulls Jo away from Nick. “What the fuck are you doing? Were you kissing her?”

Jo laughs hysterically, uncontrollably.

“This isn’t funny,” Nick snaps. He grabs Madison by the shoulders. “I wasn’t doing anything, I swear. I was just shocked. But we’re done.” He glances at Jo, his face hard. “There’s definitely nothing between us anymore.”

Jo sobers up immediately. She’s heard that before from Nick. But this time, she doesn’t quite believe him.

“Whatever you say, Nick.” Jo tosses her hair, casting an exaggerated wink at him as she turns to leave.

We’ll just see about that.