“Now we have a starting point.”

But Lena was looking again at the moment the man’s arm entered Teresa’s car.

He had not bent toward her face, as a helper might.

He had reached toward the passenger seat.

PART 7: The Story the Neighborhood Invented

By lunchtime, somebody had uploaded a photograph of Eli being lifted into the ambulance.

The image showed his small hands clutching Buddy and a police officer standing beside him.

The caption said: LOCAL MOTHER VANISHES, LEAVES SICK CHILD ALONE FOR DAYS.