With the help of a dedicated social worker, Callie carefully documented the neglect, the expired medications, and the forced sale of the house.

Two months later, the judge granted her temporary guardianship, and she celebrated quietly that night with a small cup of vanilla atole.

Geneva took the cup in both hands, looked at the tarnished medal on the table, and whispered a new piece of the puzzle.

“Your grandfather never trusted them, so the key is hidden with Saint Jude, where no one prays anymore,” she said, nodding to herself.

Callie remembered an old, chipped statue of Saint Jude that had stood in the backyard of the sold house, tucked away behind some dead flowerpots.

The next day, she drove to the old property, found the new owners, and told them the truth about the missing family heirloom through her tears.