Mom got up to answer before any of us could turn the ordinary question into something solemn.

PART 7 — Other Houses, Other Names

The investigation lasted months.

There was no single evening when an officer spread papers over my kitchen table and explained every part of Derek’s life.

Information arrived in pieces, some through Rachel, some during interviews, some only after records had been obtained and examined.

Phones were searched under the proper authority.

Communications were compared with documents, dates, and accounts given by people who could identify their own experiences.

Other names emerged.