I had chosen it myself after listening to her.

“I won’t ruin her birthday,” I said.

“I’ll be there at six.”

When the call ended, I contacted Miriam and then Detective Alvarez to relay what Mark had requested.

They determined how to proceed from there.

I had finally learned that I didn’t need to turn my granddaughter’s birthday into a personal confrontation to help protect her.

PART 8

The morning of Emma’s birthday dawned bright and cold.