The police found the man who’d killed Joe the next day, in a bar downtown with Joe’s wallet and a garrote. The director held a meeting in Wilfurd Commons to tell the student body that they were safe now, but that if any of them wanted to go home, they would get a full refund. Classes would resume the next day. There would be counselors standing by if students needed someone to talk to.

Dan found Abby and asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. The yard outside Wilfurd lacked its usual mob of kids playing Frisbee or lawn bowling. Everyone on campus was in a somber mood. They decided to get away from the campus for a while, so they took a path that led to the forest. As soon as they had gone a couple of yards, the air got cooler and the light dimmer from the riot of trees arching over them.

“How is Felix holding up?” Abby said after a while.

Dan shrugged. He didn’t really know. “He wasn’t there when I woke up, and I didn’t see him in the Commons. Maybe he’s seeing one of the counselors.”

“How about you? Feel ok?” Abby slipped her hand into his.

“Yeah,” Dan lied. Tell her, tell her everything. Stop holding everything in. But really, how could he tell her? Hey, so it turns out there was this one warden behind all the horrible shit here, and oh, guess what, we have the same name. Oh, and I’ve been having these dreams like I’m seeing through his eyes. No biggie.

At least Dan finally knew why Sal Weathers and his wife had gotten so angry when he’d told them his name.

“Jordan’s not answering his phone,” Abby said, interrupting his thoughts. The pine needles crunched under their feet. “I texted him last night when I got to my room and again this morning. I assume he heard the news that they found the guy, although I’m not sure he’s left his room. I got one reply: ‘busy with homework.’ I don’t get why he’s being so strange. So unlike the kid I met on the bus.”

“Maybe he needs to be alone for a while. I mean, he saw the body.”

“Maybe . . . but I keep thinking about what Yi said, about us watching out for him. I’m just worried, you know? I worry,” she said. “I’ll try him again later. Can’t hurt to try, right?”

Dan didn’t see her for the rest of the day. Back in his room, he found himself staring at the wall, his thoughts in a jumble. When his phone rang in his pocket, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Chill out, Dan, it’s just your parents.

He picked up the phone, already knowing what was coming.

“Oh, Danny, we just got off the phone with your program director who tells us that a boy has been killed right in your very dorm, what is going on, do you need us to—” His mother’s voice came out in a panicked rush.

He jumped to interrupt her. “Hey, hey, listen—they caught the guy, okay?” He realized he was almost shouting and lowered his voice. “I’m fine. We’re all safe now. They’ve got counselors and stuff and they caught the guy who did it.”

“The director said they had a ‘suspect in custody,’” she said shrilly. “He didn’t sound nearly as sure as you do.”

Dan had to sound sure, not just for his mother, but for himself. It was hard to ignore that while he’d been out cold having a vision about the Sculptor, two floors up Joe was being, well, sculpted.

“If they really thought we were in danger, they’d shut down the program and send us home.” Dan spoke with as much authority as he could muster, desperately hoping Sandy would take him at his word.

“I suppose that’s true. I’m just . . . I’m just heartsick thinking of you there. You’re with your friends? You’re okay?”

“I’m okay. And Abby and Jordan are, too.” Sort of. “I promise.”

“Okay. Well, if you’re sure . . .”

“Hey, while I have you guys on the phone, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Danny. Let me just put you on speakerphone.” He heard a click and suddenly it got very loud on the other end.

“Hi, Dad.”

“What do you need, Danny?” Paul asked.

Where to start? “I just had a question about my . . . family history, I guess. I mean, the stuff before you guys. Stuff from when I was younger. I was looking up some of the history about this place—’cause you know, the dorm used to be a psych ward and all—and it turns out the warden here was also named Daniel Crawford.” Careful now . . . “I thought that was an, uh, interesting coincidence. Do you know if there’s any possible relation?”

“Dan,” his father said soothingly. “I mean, really, do you need us to come get you? We can get on a plane right now and come get you. It’s no problem.”

“What? No! That’s not what I—”

“I’m serious. The whole thing doesn’t feel right to me. You should come home, you’re not, you know, always so good with stuff like this,” his father said. It had been awhile since Dan had heard him sound so worried.

“Danny, sweetie, your father is just concerned, we both are,” his mom added. “Do we need to call Dr. Oberst? If you think this might trigger some sort of episode . . .”

“But I didn’t say anything about wanting to come home—”

“Psych wards and wardens and . . . What about you, Danny? It doesn’t sound like you’re taking care of yourself!” It was his dad again, and from the sound of it, he was working himself up into an angry froth.

“Calm down, Paul. Danny, we’re worried about you, that’s all. We’re just trying to tell you that if you want to leave, we think that would be a good, rational decision. We always knew that this might be too much for you—”

“Look, never mind. Don’t call Dr. Oberst. Don’t worry about me. I have to get going.” He hung up the phone over their protests.

Paul and Sandy had always told him that the most they could give him about his birth parents was “nonidentifying” information, like the fact that they’d been college educated and healthy and had no other kids. But apparently, all you had to do was check a little box saying you didn’t want to divulge your identity, and suddenly it took a good reason and a court order to get anywhere.

Frankly, Dan had never really cared to know who his good-for-nothing parents were. Paul and Sandy were more than great; they had come to feel like family.

But suddenly, finding out his history felt like the most important thing in the world. The missing piece in this maddening puzzle—the link between Dan and a ruthless killer. Of all the places he could have ended up this summer, it couldn’t be a mistake that he’d chosen this one.

Brookline was his destiny. It was in his blood.