The explanation sounded plausible.

Plausible was not the same as verified.

I asked for the jeweler’s name and the receipt.

I asked that Patrick’s belongings be set aside intact while we arranged their return.

I asked for a clear account of his final morning and the contacts involved.

Samantha agreed.

She did not have to produce a perfect narrative from memory.

She had to stop pretending missing things were lost and incomplete accounts were complete.