And then there was the dress.

It came from a boutique on Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp, and it was found because a detective on Michael’s team spent a week doing the most boring work in the case, which was tracing every item Emily was wearing in the casket.

A sales associate named Danika remembered the transaction clearly, without prompting, because it had been unusual.

A man had come in on a Wednesday afternoon and bought a black dress with a high lace collar.

He had not looked at anything else.

He had known the size.