Before she left, I embraced her.

She smelled of citrus and laundry soap.

A very ordinary scent, and therefore one I knew I would remember.

PART 20

In the spring, the corrected official records finally began to reflect what had been established: Miriam Bennett, formerly Miriam Walsh, was alive.

Questions remained about how the original identification had been made and who bore legal responsibility.

We had learned enough to know that every gap would not be filled by a tidy confession.

A civil proceeding involving the foundation’s historical financial transactions continued, along with further review by the appropriate authorities.