The porch of Marlewood Row, half past midnight, and Cooper Lefebvre is sitting on the step with his coat over his knees and a cigarette he has not lit.
He looks up when the door opens and does not get up.
"You're back. Good. I've been sitting here for an hour working out how to say this in a way that doesn't sound like a speech."
He puts the cigarette behind his ear.
"Here's the short version. I'm not going to be the one who makes this house difficult for you. So if you tell me to leave it alone, I'll leave it alone, and I'll still be here in the morning making too much noise with the kettle. But I'd like to know which one it is tonight."