Kettlewell had been almost pathetic in his interest in helping Lester out. Lester got the impression that he’d been sitting around his apartment, moping, ever since Eva had taken the kids and gone. As Lester unspooled the story for him—Suzanne wouldn’t tell him how she’d found this out, and he knew better than to ask—Kettlewell grew more and more excited. By the time Lester was through, he was practically slobbering into the phone.

“Oh, oh, oh, this is going to be a fun phoner,” he said.

“You’ll do it, then? Even after everything?”

“Does Perry know you’ve called me?”

Lester swallowed. “No,” he said. “I don’t talk to Perry much these days.”

Kettlewell sighed. “What the hell am I going to do with you two?”

“I’m sorry,” Lester said.

“Don’t be sorry. Be happy. Someone should be happy around here.”