He remembered Daniel teaching them to fix a bicycle tire.
He remembered his mother becoming furious when he came home with a library book Evelyn had lent him.
The book was about the night sky.
Marjorie said the Mercers were trying to turn her children against their family.
Peter had never understood why a book could cause so much anger.
I invited the brothers to sit on the porch, but Peter preferred to remain outside.
He asked whether Sophie had been frightened by their mother.
I said she had, though she was doing better.
Peter apologized without trying to excuse Marjorie.
I told him the apology mattered but the responsibility was not his.
He nodded and looked at Evan.
For the first time, the two brothers seemed comfortable standing together in front of the house.
They had no way to restore the years they lost.
They could choose not to lose the next ones.
Before leaving, Peter handed me a small paperback book.
It was the same astronomy book Evelyn had given him as a child.
He had kept it through every move.
Inside the cover, Evelyn had written a note encouraging him to keep asking questions.
I asked whether he was sure he wanted to leave it with me.
He said it belonged in the house where someone had first taught him that curiosity was not disobedience.
I placed it on the shelf beside Sophie’s science projects.
Chapter 35: A Hearing About the Mail
The postal matter moved forward separately from the emergency fund investigation.
Marjorie faced allegations relating to specific incidents of unauthorized mail handling.
The legal process involved evidence review, counsel, and opportunities to contest the allegations.
I testified only about what I had personally witnessed and the recordings from my own property.
Marcus explained the chain of custody for relevant footage and photographs.
Other residents gave statements about letters they had seen Marjorie remove.
The proceedings were less dramatic than neighbors imagined.
There were no sudden confessions and no speeches that made everyone gasp.
People answered narrow questions about dates, places, and actions.
A clerk checked documents, and attorneys objected when questions went beyond what witnesses could know.
I found the careful pace strangely reassuring.
It was the opposite of the rumors that had chased Evelyn for years.
Afterward, Marjorie passed me in the courthouse hallway.
She was accompanied by her attorney and looked smaller than she had on my porch.
Her eyes met mine for a moment.
