She asked where the originals were stored and whether anyone else could access them
Owen answered each question slowly while the second investigator took notes
I stepped into the workshop because I did not want to become part of a conversation that did not belong to me
Through the glass I could see Owen begin to cry
I did not hear what he said and did not try to
When Dana finished she asked me to return to the office
She thanked me for bringing Owen to someone who could record his statement properly
She also warned that my garage might attract unwanted attention once the warehouse records were examined
I asked whether she believed I was in danger
She said there was no specific threat but advised me to report suspicious activity and preserve any recordings
I installed better exterior lighting that evening and checked the locks before going to bed
The lights did not make me feel brave
They made the driveway visible enough that I could stop imagining shadows where none existed
On Friday morning a letter arrived from an attorney representing Conrad
The letter accused me of spreading defamatory allegations and demanded that I stop discussing his business with residents
I read it twice before placing it in a folder with the association notices
I had not accused Conrad publicly of a crime and had no intention of starting
I called Helen and asked her to recommend an independent lawyer for my personal interests
She gave me the number of Rebecca Shaw who specialized in civil disputes
Rebecca reviewed the letter and explained that a demand was not the same as a court order
She advised me to keep my public statements factual and avoid discussing evidence that investigators had not released
I told her I had been doing exactly that since the Mustang disappeared
She said that was a good habit worth keeping
I spent the afternoon repairing a customers tractor and felt grateful for a problem with a visible cause
A cracked belt could be replaced and a damaged pulley could be aligned
People were harder because they could change their explanations without changing their intentions
At closing time I found a small package on the office counter
My assistant had accepted it from a courier who left no return address
Inside was a photograph of Laura standing beside the Mustang at a summer car show
