At 3 A.M., My Brother Dragged Me Out of My Bedroom While Dad Laughed—He Had No Idea What the Smoke Detector Had Recorded

Elaine had said what she remembered without waiting for Douglas to approve it.

That was new.

Later, at the station, Elena asked me to begin with the oldest incident I could date.

I brought my blue three-ring binder.

The same binder I’d used for months.

Its corners were bent.

Several pages carried crossed-out dates.

Other pages contained questions I couldn’t answer.