I had already placed the most crucial things there earlier: copies of the recordings, the new will, photographs of the financial records showing the discrepancies.

“When will we come back for them?” Alice asked, carefully setting her grandfather’s paperweight alongside his watches.

“When everything is settled,” I said, smoothing her hair.

“Don’t worry.

These treasures aren’t going away forever.

They’re just waiting for the right moment to come home.”