Then Whitney reached for her glass of water, and I realized that the future Piper wanted was not a family put perfectly back together.

It was a future where she could choose where she felt safe.

PART 16

Two weeks later, I learned the reason for the strange objects in the second freezer.

Dolores had used it as a storage chest for years, filling it with documents and possessions she had taken from people she believed had defied her.

Marlene’s papers were there, along with letters from two other former household residents, a set of keys, and photographs.

Some of the items were innocent; others helped investigators establish a pattern of controlling behavior.