I did not ask Hailey to repeat it on the telephone.

Ruiz thanked me and said the trained interviewer would handle further questions.

After the call, I sat with Claire’s old photo album on Rachel’s living room floor.

Hailey joined me.

We looked at pictures of Claire eating ice cream, standing in the garden, and laughing when the dog stole a sandwich.

“Was she happy?” Hailey asked.

“Very,” I said.

“Even when I cried?”