and Anna were in the same place. It does not tell us why.”
I hated that she was right.
I hated every unanswered question because each one left Lily and Owen suspended over hope.
Elise set the sealed evidence packet on my desk. The flash drive had not yet been opened. Not by us. Not without proper handling. Evan’s note made it clear he wanted me to see it, but my desire to know was not more important than preserving whatever truth might be inside.
“I’ll petition for review under appropriate supervision,” Elise said. “If there’s anything relevant to custody or safety, it needs to be admissible.”
“And if it’s not about custody?”
Her expression tightened. “Then it may be about Evan’s death.”
Neither of us spoke for a moment.
Rain tapped the windows.
Evan Bennett had known numbers told stories. He had hidden a message in his son’s stuffed
