Another resident asked whether the police had found a dangerous device under the window.

I answered that an item had been recovered and documented, but I would not invent a hazard that authorities had not identified.

The discussion calmed when a woman named Teresa Bell, unrelated to Margaret, asked whether anyone had considered the strain on nearby families.

She said cars had stopped outside my house at night to take photographs, and their headlights woke her children.

Several neighbors admitted they had seen the same behavior.

The chair proposed a simple statement reminding residents to respect private property and report actual hazards rather than spread rumors.

The motion passed without naming Iris or making the association an arm of the investigation.

After the meeting, Teresa apologized for an earlier message in which she had assumed I was obstructing police.

I thanked her for correcting it.

We discussed the willow tree and whether its largest branch needed inspection after the winter storms.

That ordinary conversation was the most encouraging part of the evening.

It suggested the neighborhood could recover without everyone agreeing on the meaning of the past.

ADDITIONAL CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: MARA’S CHOICE

When Calder confirmed that Mara was alive, several reporters immediately tried to locate her.

Frances refused to share any private details, even after a producer claimed Mara’s story belonged to the public.

I asked what Mara had actually agreed to provide.

Calder said she would cooperate with investigators and correct parts of the historical account that had become distorted.

She was not required to describe every year of her private life to strangers.

Leah received a short response to her old letter through the investigator.

Mara thanked her for caring and said she needed time before deciding whether to reconnect with anyone connected to Iris.

Leah read the message twice and then folded it carefully into her coat pocket.

She admitted that part of her wanted a reunion immediately.

Another part feared Mara would tell her things about her mother that she was not ready to hear.

I reminded her that Mara had already made a difficult decision by coming forward.

Leah nodded and said she would honor the request for time.

Later that afternoon, I visited the historical society to return the restoration book.

Alan asked whether I was pleased the missing woman had been found.

I said I was relieved she was alive but did not feel entitled to celebrate her decision as my achievement.