She didn’t promise arrests or give me details of an investigation that hadn’t happened yet.

She asked whether Emma was currently somewhere safe, whether there had been threats or injuries I knew of, and whether Mark had any reason to suspect my involvement.

I answered honestly.

In truth, I knew far less about my granddaughter’s daily life than I should have.

The discovery hurt as much as anything else.

For the next week, I learned to live with uncertainty.

Ray provided information as lawfully as he could, Miriam explained developments that affected me, and I kept my ordinary Saturday plans with Emma.