Alex sits down on the sofa and then reaches for the cup, cradling it between her hands, letting the warmth leech into her. Climbing out of the crucible left her cold, but the coffee and the shower are helping.

"So what else do I need to know?" she asks. Her eyes flicker towards movement in the corner of his apartment; a young woman, about her own age, is standing at the window, crying and brushing her hair.