“No, I did not kill a puppy! How could you even think such a thing?”

“Well, you must’ve done something pretty bad, if they think you’re unfit. And I didn’t say you killed the dog on purpose. I was thinking maybe you ran it over with your car.”

“No, I did not run over a puppy.”

“Then what did you do?”

I lowered my voice again. “I attempted suicide. I was unsuccessful. Obviously.”

“Oh,” Alex said, then stared straight ahead over the top of Aaron’s fuzzy scalp.

“It happened before I met MJ,” I continued. “That’s why Aunt Maddy had to be the kids’ foster parent instead of me. The State won’t let me.”

We were silent for the rest of the walk to the park. When we were still half a block away the kids heard the ice cream man’s bell and they raced ahead. I ran to catch up with them, leaving Alex and Aaron behind.

I paid for Sofia’s strawberry popsicle, Ethan’s chocolate covered cone, and Makeyla’s ice cream sandwich and accompanied them to a low cement wall where a group of other children congregated eating their own ice creams.

When Alex arrived a few minutes later he asked me if I wanted ice cream too. I didn’t, and neither did he. Then I glanced around the playground and spotted a bench a couple with a squirmy toddler had just vacated. I hustled over to it before another parent could snag it and motioned for Alex to join me. He sat down on the opposite end, his legs spread wide, a sleeping Aaron resting between them.

I said, “The reason I wanted to talk to you again is because I need your help.”

Chapter 28

Alex didn’t respond. He continued to stare straight ahead, pretending to watch the kids playing on the climbing structure.

“Don’t you want to know what I need your help with?” I asked.

“No.”

“It has to do with the flash drive,” I said, undeterred.

Alex blew air out his nose and gripped the bench. “I told you to get rid of it.”

“No, you told me to get it out of the house. At least, that’s the message MJ gave me. And I did. It’s somewhere safe.”

“Where?”

“The bank. I put it in my safe deposit box.”

Alex laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

He shook his head but didn’t reply.

“Can I please tell you what I found on it?”

“I think you’re going to tell me anyway.”

He was right about that. “I’d rather show you.”

“You’re gonna sneak me into the bank and take me to your safe deposit box?” He laughed again.

I didn’t get the humor in safe deposit boxes, but obviously he did. “No, I downloaded the file onto my laptop.”

Alex stopped laughing and turned to face me. “Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck were you thinking?”

Aaron stirred but didn’t wake. However, the half dozen parents within earshot turned and stared at us. “Keep your voice down,” I hissed.

“Keep my voice down?” He lowered his volume but not his angry tone.

I smiled for the benefit of the parents who were still giving us sidelong glances. “C’mon, let’s take a walk.”

I stood up, but Alex stayed seated, silently fuming. I left him on the bench while I ran over to the kids. I told them not to leave the playground area until we returned. When all three had promised, I walked back to the bench and stared at Alex with my hands on my hips until he stood up.

“I feel like you’re always mad at me,” I said as we strode side by side along the cement path that led to the soccer field.

“When I tell you to get something out of your house, it means get it away from you, not transfer it to your goddamn computer.”

“I can count on one hand the number of people who even know the flash drive exists.”

Alex stopped in the middle of the path. “Wrong! You have no idea who knows about the flash drive or why they might want it.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Fighting with Alex was not going to get him to help me. “Actually, I think I might know or, at least, why someone would want it. There’s only one file on the drive. A spreadsheet. I think it might be a list of private keys. Do you know what those are? They’re—”

“I know what a private key is!” Alex said, shaking his head in disgust.

“Enough, Alex.” I wouldn’t put up with Daniel’s condescension and I wasn’t going to accept it from Alex either. “I apologize if I insulted you. It wasn’t my intention. Now stop insulting me. I had no idea what a private key was until my ex told me.”

“Your ex?”

“Just someone I dated for a few weeks.”

“The math teacher?”

Obviously, MJ had told him about Daniel, although I didn’t know why. “Yes, but we broke up.”

“Why?”

“Does it matter?”

“You want my help, don’t you?”

I let out another slow breath and reminded myself again that I didn’t just want Alex’s help, I needed it. I had no one else to turn to. “If you must know, it’s because he thinks I’m crazy.”

Alex let out a laugh and Aaron stirred. “You are crazy,” he said and resumed walking.

“Not crazy the way you think I’m crazy. Tinfoil hat crazy. Check myself into the Wellstone Center crazy.”