The Basses and the Loftons were huddled with Dr Cooley. Lance was sedated and out like a light; his monitored signs were strong – stronger in fact than before, now that he had purged himself of his secrets.

JC, though, was sitting bonelessly in a chair across from trim Dr Nguyen, in her office, wringing his hands like a Victorian tragedy queen. ‘I’ve hurt him so badly all this time,’ he whispered. ‘I fell for him – well, the minute I saw him, I think, looking back: that’s why we fought so hard and so long.... I knew though that that was what I was feeling, that Joe was right all along, when – did he tell you about that holdup in the drugstore in Manhattan?’

‘Yes. In the course of things, he did. You referred to Joe? Is that the Joey Fatone Lance mentioned, your bandmate?’

‘Yeah. He’s so damn shrewd and smart, Joe is, and he hides it so well –’

From outside, pat on cue, he heard a Brooklyn bellow. ‘Mama Bass! Pappy Jimbo, man! Stace, Ford – I thought I’d never find you guys! Man, I couldn’t remember who was doctoring Lansten and I ran into this old surgeon a few hospitals over and tried to ask and he got all bent outta shape: some guy named DeBaker or somethin’ –’

Dr Nguyen suppressed a smile. ‘Would that by any chance be Mr Fatone, hiding his intelligence?’

‘Mr Pearlman? Mr Louis J. Pearlman of TransCon?’

‘Yeah, that’s me – I’m not giving interviews here, I said that –’

‘No problem,’ the nondescript man with the camera and the (prop) microphone said. He slapped a sheaf of papers into Pearlman’s sweaty hand. ‘You’re served.’

‘Roy ... Karen.... Look. This is tough for us. By now, that b– uh, Pearlman shoulda been served with the suit papers and all. And it’s gonna be pretty hairy a while I guess. I know it was C’s uncle first looked at the contracts when Lance finally forced the rest of us to wake up and smell the artificial caffeine product with non-dairy creamer. I need to talk to him again.’

‘And Joshua is too busy right now for you to ask him for this information.’ It was a statement, not a question. Karen’s tone was flat: as flat as her affect. She sat poised on her chair in a clinically immaculate room, striving for a WASP Ice Queen demeanor that she didn’t quite have the breeding to pull off.

Damn, Chris thought, we’ve never talked about what C’s ’rents do and don’t know or how they feel if they know.... ‘Uh–’

Roy smiled, a little sadly, but bravely. ‘It’s all right, Chris. We know he’s in Houston, of course. With Lance. And we know why. Josh – we’ve known about that aspect of him for a good few years now. It’s – not always been easy. For him or for us. But he’s still my boy....’

‘My’ boy. Not ‘ours’. ‘Mine.’ And Karen’s face was set and glacial. Chris was trying to remember the last time he had actually been embarrassed – much less felt like blushing.

‘Don’t fidget, Christopher,’ Karen snapped. ‘We have no intention of cutting off our nose to spite our face. We shan’t jeopardize his – and your and the other young men’s – even Mister Bass’s – career, however unacceptable we find this situation. We’ve maintained the facade for some time now, after all: we have ourselves and our children, our other children, to think of. It is simply not to be spoken of, nor do we.’

Chris realized, with a sense of shock, that the heat radiating through him was not so much embarrassment now as anger and disdain.

‘Karen,’ Roy rumbled. ‘He remains our son, despite –’

‘Despite this sordid mess that you try to gloss over with baseball games and “guys’s nights out” and acting as if nothing has changed when all along you know he’s living this way? He may remain your son, Roy. Unfortunately. He legally does. No good deed goes unpunished....’

Chris rose sharply to his feet. ‘I think I should leave now.’ His tone was cold.

‘I’m sorry, Christopher, I wasn’t thinking: I’m sure this – situation – with Joshua and that Bass boy is as distasteful to you as it is to us –’

‘What’s “distasteful” to me – as in, like, I feel like I could hurl – is you people’s attitude.’ He flung out a hand as Karen started to speak. ‘My turn, lady. I’m not one of the “kids,” remember? And as for my respect, bitch, you lost it when you made it clear you wish there was a way to take C back to the pound, like an SPCA adoption that didn’t pan out. Nice to know that as long as he’s bringing home some bacon you won’t out him – I guess all bets are off with his loving parents after that, huh? And as for dissin’ Lance – they haven’t really even hooked up yet, like it would be any of your business anyway, and we all know that C was batting for his own team long before Lansten ever left Mississippi to sing bass, so don’t pull that crap on me about it was Lance’s fault. I’m outta here, and if I’ve made things tougher for C, I’ll apologize to him, but as for the two of you, I’d as soon deal with Fat Lou.’

‘This lawsuit. You feel guilty. I realize it’s added stress for Lance, but why should you feel guilty, JC?’

‘Doc – Christ. Lance – Chris, too, but mostly Lance – Lance smelled a rat from the get-go. Didn’t want to sign with Pearlman. Guess who overrode him? Forced him into it? And you know what was in that contract?’ JC was pacing now, waving his arms, gabbling. ‘Oh, only penalties if we missed any fucking appearance from meat-greeting to shows to the freaking Macy’s parade that fuckin’ near killed him, fining all of us if one missed, stuff that drove Lance to hide being sick, damn near kill himself for the rest of us, work himself into where he is now, and it’s all because I had to go and twist his arm and push and push and push him into signing –’

‘Josh. Sit. Stay. Shut up a minute. Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? Because it looks to me as if I’ve suddenly acquired another patient.’

As he peeled rubber out of the Chasez’s neighborhood, Chris realized three things. One, that Roy at least hadn’t been a total prick about this, even if he didn’t have the balls to stand up to the Winter Princess: Chris wondered if he owed him an apology. Second, that he’d never gotten the info he’d come for about JC’s legal-eagle uncle. And last, that he was singing. Not for joy. Bitterly, with each note etched by acid.

Justin had been unprepared for the reception he’d gotten when he arrived at the Knowles residence. He’d had to ask directions, of course, and – well, the Southern small-town ‘bush telegraph’ worked as expected. When he’d rung the doorbell, he’d been greeted by a town policeman, a County deputy, and Steve Knowles: all three armed.

Mr Knowles had blinked and stepped back in shock. ‘Wayne; Johnny Lee: let him in. He’s on our side,’ he’d said. And as Justin had entered the house, Susan Knowles had peered around the corner from the kitchen. ‘Oh my Lord,’ she’d said. ‘It’s Lance’s friend Justin, isn’t it – you set right down – oh Lordy, is Lance okay? Nothing’s wrong, is it? I’d best call Diane –’

That was sorted out now, and Justin and the Knowleses were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking iced tea and looking at what little was now left of a peach cobbler. Justin was on his best behavior, and speaking standard Southern English: a Tennessee gentleman all of a sudden. Somehow, it always happened that way when he slipped away from being ’N Sync Justin: he never even noticed.

‘Well, it’s kind of you to say so, son, but I still feel awful sorry you got the welcoming committee the way you did. I guess ... well, I’m the only County Extension Agent they’ve got, and –. Now. What in the Sam Hill is going on?’

‘Deke?’

‘Jim? How y’all holding up?’

‘All right, I reckon. Everything quiet there?’

‘Is now. Had us a bit of a scare earlier when someone showed up to the Knowles’s, but dang if ’tweren’t y’alls little buddy Justin.’

‘Justin is there?’

‘Was setting and talking serious to Susan and Steve when Wayne handed over to Bubba Coleman ’bout an hour back. We’re kindy givin’ the Knowleses some pertection just now, after them out of town folks come barging in.’

‘Maybe I’d best – no. Already decided I cain’t just up and ask Steve this ’un.’

‘Huh? You two go back to when God was in short-pants, Big Jim.’

‘Reckon as how. Still and all, it just don’t set right to ask him. Deke. I know what Doc Pritchett and Judge Warren ruled and all, and I’d understand why they did, if what I’m thinking is the way ’twas. But I need to know on account of Lance is having a nigh breakdown. Did ... did Jessica ... was there a note?’

There was silence on the telephone line. After a long moment that stretched like taffy, Deke sighed heavily. ‘Jimbo, you ain’t never been but straight with me, and hell, we’ve knowed each other since who th’owed the chunk. Ev’body wants to do right by Steve and Susan and Jessie’s memory and all, but if you’re telling me Lance is having a hard time, well, I reckon as how y’all got a right to know. She did leave her a note. It was a plain suicide, and no accident a-tall.

‘Jim ... I worked that case, as you know. I ain’t never going to forget seeing Lance that day, curled in a ball on the floor, having a holt of the phone in one hand and that damn piece of paper in t’other, and just as out of it as ... well. I tell you, Jimbo, it was worse’n ary thing ever I seen in ’Nam. And when T. Bob went to touch him just on the shoulder and he’p him up ... ’s when he lost it. I hadn’t knowed as y’all’d immediately put him in the hands of Doc Ellis, over to Jackson, for it, I’d have spoke up then, private-like, to y’all. I’d knowed he hadn’t dealt with it with Doc Ellis then, I’d have said something long afore now, too. You’d best believe that, Jim: I would have.’

‘I know.’

‘I mean, damn, Big Jim, we’re all proud of Lance, sure, but me, hell, I coached him in Little League.... You and me, we used to take him and Little Deke fishing.... Long afore he was out there in the big world, singing and all, he was – well, hell, he was one of them boys here in town ev’body liked to see, grinning and all, always so nice and polite and he’pful.... You and Diane done raised y’all a good ’un, him and Stace both, and you know it. Sheeeyit. All them times I’d be at the station and look over the desk and see my Little Deke’s curls and the top of that tow-head right next, always next, to Jessie’s black hair ... they was never one ’thouten t’other ... he was a pet and a mascot and damn it, it always made ev’body and their dawg smile to see Lance-an’-Jessie turn up....’

Deke sounded distant and a mite choked up. Jim understood. He was fighting back tears himself.

‘And then us for to lose her that way, Lance for to lose her that way ... damn it, Jimbo, I should have done something earlier, and I’m sure Steve and Susan would feel the same. Jessie ... Jessie dang sure wouldn’t have wanted Lance to be made to suffer like this. I done screwed up, we all did, and that’s all there is to it. You tell Lance I said so, you think it’ll he’p. And I’ll say it to his face, he ever gets home a while. It wasn’t his fault – well –’

Jim swallowed. His mouth had run dry. ‘Wh- what was in the note?’ He had a feeling he knew.

‘Uh, Jim, if Lance ain’t told you I don’t know as it’s my place –’

‘Deke, Lance is in the hospital, sedated, and his heart acting up. Jessie helped him –’ Jim took a deep breath: he figured Deke knew, but saying this was acutely painful – ‘come out to us, so we, um, know about that.... It’s the note and all that he’s never talked about....’

‘Oh my Lord.’

Jim tasted bile in the back of his throat. If he had just outed his son....

‘No, now Jim, holt on. Steve and Susan knowed, I know, Judge Warren and Doc Pritchett knowed. Ain’t a soul in town else who does, leastways about the note and all, and prob’ly about the whole thing as to Lance bein’ gay. It don’t make no nevermind to nobody as does know. Sure don’t to me: he’s still the nicest damn boy, smart as a whip, minds his manners, and with all that, when he needs to be, tough enough he could go bear-huntin’ with a switch. Still the boy I taught the cut fastball and the curve to. So don’t you worry none about that. Jim, this ain’t no big town, for all we are half in the shadder of the damn cap'tol building: we try and keep this place country, and Jackson city be damned. But that cuts and shoots both. Lance has always played by the rules as we know ’em: namely, long as you don’t do nothing in the street and scare the horses, long as you’re decent and discreet, well, ev’body lives and lets live. What was it ol’ Jeff Davis said in 18-and-61? “All we ask is to be let alone?” That’s how it works and you know it. Lance knows it. Sure, folks may think, or again they may not, but it don’t matter long as ever’thing stays decent.

‘Jimbo, if you’re thinking that Jessie killt herse’f for love of Lance, knowin’ as he could never love her back the way she wanted, man to woman, I’m afeared you’re right. But no one who knows that for sure has a word to say against Lance – no sir, nor against Jessie’s memory, neither – not Steve and Susan, not nobody. And as for what folks as don’t know the full story may have guessed or speculated at the time, well, one thing is for damn sure. No smartass suit-wearing sumbitch f’om Florida or nowheres is ever going to hear ary word down here ’bout that. We don’t take kindly to such goings-on, and you know it. So stop puckering over that and you get back to getting our boy well, you hear me?’

‘Imagine we ought to tell you,’ Steve Knowles began.

Justin stopped him. ‘No sir. If I’m – if we’re – to hear anything about anything, it deserves to come from Lance. I ain’t here to pry. I just wanted y’all to understand what was goin’ down wit’ Pearlman and them, give y’all a heads-up, and explain why those f- – uh, them people – come around to meddle in y’all’s business and stir up y’all’s grief.’

‘But ... I should be the one protecting him. Even if ... even if we weren’t ... I mean, gee, I’m older, I’ve been through the mill in this business, it’s my, like, duty t’ protect him, that innocence, that purity he has –’

Dr Nguyen looked at him blandly. ‘We have a lot to work through, don’t we, JC.’ She studied his averted face. ‘Tell me about the group dynamic. Chris is the eldest, after all, and Lance is supposed to be the managing spirit and business dynamo, so the stories say....’

JC looked up. ‘What, you don’t want me to start with asking, “tell me about your family?”’

‘I just did. Didn’t I?’