Some people had written about broken heating systems, while others asked whether an approved contractor would finally visit.
Several cards contained private details that Daniel did not want shared publicly.
One card, however, had been copied into a committee memorandum before the original was archived.
It asked why an assistance check had been returned when the sender had never received it.
The memo attached to that card instructed committee members to refer all inquiries to Marjorie.
A later handwritten note, apparently in Evelyn’s hand, said that requests were being redirected before they reached the people responsible for payment reconciliation.
This explained why the separate correspondence cabinet could have been important.
The letters might have shown who complained and when those complaints were received.
They could establish that committee leaders knew of problems earlier than they admitted.
Daniel’s attorney reviewed the packet and arranged to provide relevant copies to investigators.
I returned to Briar Glen with no private documents, only a much clearer understanding of the dispute.
Marjorie had wanted to know whether the lighthouse envelope would reconnect the family with records she believed were gone.
Her behavior still seemed irrational from the outside.
The museum had not accused her or released anything publicly.
But fear can make a person act against an imagined future as though it has already arrived.
That was the lesson I took home from Maine.
When I crossed the state line into Pennsylvania, Sophie called to ask whether I could bring her a small model sailboat.
I told her I had forgotten to visit the gift shop.
She sounded disappointed, then said a photograph of a boat would be fine.
I promised her we would return together for a holiday when the town was quieter.
It felt good to imagine a trip without police reports or threatening notes.
Chapter 25: A Lawyer at the Gate
Marjorie’s attorney visited my house the following Wednesday.
He introduced himself as Alan Mercer, a common surname unrelated to Evelyn’s family.
He carried a letter stating that his client denied any harassment and asked me to stop making public allegations about her.
I read it through the closed storm door and told him I had made no public allegations beyond describing my own experience at a neighborhood meeting.
He said his client believed I had encouraged people to spread rumors.
I asked him to send any further correspondence to my attorney, whose contact information I had already provided to police.
