Evelyn unlocked a kitchen cabinet with a brass key.

It contained old appliance bills, envelopes of canceled checks, and folders marked in Julian’s handwriting.

“Claire asked me to start here in March,” she said.

“Why this cabinet?”

“He kept the active household records here.

The older things were boxed downstairs.”

We worked with clean hands on a cleared table.

Evelyn lifted each envelope before I photographed its front.