“Tell them I still have the recipe for cinnamon cookies.”

On my way home, I understood how strange the past year had been.

The people who appeared most powerful at the beginning had depended on secrecy.

The people who helped the boys recover had mostly done small, ordinary things in plain sight: asking questions, keeping notes, telling the truth, and showing up when it mattered.

PART 21

The twins turned nine on a bright September day.

Their birthday party took place in the cottage garden, not beneath the chandeliers of the old estate.