Caldwell does not consider it a matter for negotiation whether an adult may instruct a nine-year-old child to conceal herself, and asks that all further contact cease.

It stopped that week.

Fourteen months later, one more thing arrived — a letter addressed to Hannah, sent to the attorney’s office because Pamela did not have our address any more, which she had presumably realized was itself informative.

I did not open it.

I took it to Dr.

Roshan, who read it and told me it was not harmful, and that it contained an apology and an admission — that Pamela had come to understand that her jealousy of a dead woman had turned into resentment of a child who could not defend herself — and that it did not ask for anything.