My Son Walked Home Alone for the First Time. Twenty Minutes Later, Our Neighbor Called Crying—and a Watch Exposed Five Years of Lies

Garrett left after saying he needed to speak with his lawyer.

Brenda and I sat a while longer, both shaken in different ways.

“Well,” she said at last, “that was less satisfying than the movies.”

“It was,” I agreed.

“Maybe that’s a good thing.”

PART 8