The final piece came through Astrid, late on a Friday.

Guided by her father’s note — follow the money — she had gone searching through his personal belongings, stored in her Baltimore attic.

Inside a vintage hardback of classic American poetry, taped beneath the back cover flap, she found a small antique brass key.

Beside the tape, four hand-inked letters: A C C R.

The letters stood for the Abernathy Children’s Care Reserve, and they matched a private safe-deposit box at a historic bank in downtown Minneapolis.

Astrid flew back to Minnesota at once, meeting Bridgette at the bank to open a box that had sat untouched since Alistair’s death.