It was an adult willing to let the information mean what it meant, and to accept the trouble that would follow.

Every adult before Dr.

Sato had found a reason to look away, and the reasons were always reasonable: it’s not my place, I could be mistaken, the family says they’re difficult, I don’t want to make it worse.

Dr.

Sato looked at the same evidence and did the one thing none of them had done.

She let it be true.

And then she locked a door.