CHAPTER FOURTEEN D: A CALL TO EVELYN

Mark called Evelyn Brooks after Monique gave him permission to contact her.
He wanted to apologize for having heard her story on the radio without understanding how many people were affected.
Evelyn laughed gently.
“You didn’t take my check,” she said.
“No, but I lived near people who were involved.”
“That doesn’t make you responsible for their choices.”
Mark sat beside the repaired dining chair from Simon’s shop.
He had considered throwing it away after learning what happened in the warehouse.
Now he ran a finger along the smooth joint and wondered why an ordinary object could carry such an unpleasant memory.
Evelyn asked whether his door had been fixed.
“Not yet,” Mark replied.
“Then stop worrying about my paperwork long enough to make sure your house is secure.”
Mark smiled despite himself.
“You sound like my sister.”
“Your sister sounds sensible.”
Evelyn told him that Monique had arranged new therapy appointments.
The clinic had agreed to review the disputed absences.
“I still want answers,” Evelyn said.
“But I don’t want the investigation to become the only thing I talk about.”
Mark understood.
For weeks, every conversation he had started seemed to return to Helen, the camera, and the broken glass.
He promised Evelyn that he would visit the community meeting when he could help with something practical.
Then he went outside and cleared fallen branches from his yard.
The work did not solve anything, but it gave his hands a task that belonged entirely to him.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN E: THE REPAIR ESTIMATE

The insurance adjuster inspected Mark’s kitchen while the temporary plywood remained in place.
She measured the damaged track and photographed the broken lock.
Mark showed her the contractor’s estimate and the police report number.
The adjuster asked whether he had invited Helen onto the property.
“No,” Mark said.
“She came through the patio.”
The adjuster asked whether he had spoken to Helen before the glass broke.
Mark described hearing the first impact and seeing her strike the door again.
He did not add guesses about what she intended until the adjuster asked about the envelope.
“She wanted something on my kitchen table,” he said.
“She told me it belonged to her.”
The adjuster explained the process for documenting the damage.
Mark signed the necessary forms and kept copies in his repair folder.
After she left, he stood in the kitchen and looked at the scratches on the floor.
He had considered replacing the tiles, but Luis told him the marks could be polished out.
Mark decided to repair what could be repaired without pretending the incident had never happened.
That afternoon, he called a locksmith to check the front and side doors.
He also replaced the outdoor light above the patio.
These were ordinary precautions, not clues in a mystery.
He found the distinction comforting.