Chapter 5: Plus One

Cillian arrived at our building on Saturday at seven, and he was early.

I watched him through the narrow window beside the door.

He was standing on the sidewalk in a dark jacket with a paper bag in one hand, looking up at our windows.

I came down the stairs and opened the door.

"You're early."

"I was told a boyfriend shows up before the time."

He held out the bag.

"Cinnamon rolls. They're from a place near me. Don't tell anyone they're the reason I came."

I took it. "That's a lie."

"It's a cover."

Behind me, the stairwell door banged.

Trevor came down the last flight in his gym clothes with a towel around his neck.

He saw us and stopped on the bottom step.

For one second, his face was the face I'd seen at Lumière, the one with nothing behind it.

Then the TV smile came on.

"Cillian, right," he said. "The tulip guy."

"The tulip guy."

"Eliza told me. Tuesday, two weeks ago, tulips for your mom."

Trevor came down and shook his hand a beat too long.

"Cillian what?"

"Just Cillian."

"Everyone has a last name."

"Eliza likes me with the mystery."

I said nothing. I had my hand flat on the cinnamon roll bag.

Trevor's smile stayed fixed. "I do the weather. I'm good at finding things out."

"Then find out Sunday," Cillian said. "I hear it's going to rain."

Trevor looked at me.

"Eliza. Can we talk upstairs?"

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