They didn’t speak on the way to the hotel bar. Adam was brooding, intent on figuring out what to do next, and Erin couldn’t shake up her apprehension that Rachel might not be there for posterity.

They quickly found the people they were looking for. As soon as she laid eyes on them, Erin regretted not having changed into something more stylish. They were all in evening attire, as if ready for a formal ball. Her shorts and sandals and Adam’s t-shirt with its winged snake would make them stand out, which she hated. Adam paused at the entrance, straightened up, adjusted an imaginary tie on his neck, and offered her his arm. She tutted and walked in.

The group greeted her with much more warmth than she would have given them credit for, which left her a little unsettled, having prep...

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