Alexandra looked up.
“Why?”
“You're terrifying.”
She laughed.
Quietly.
It was the first peaceful moment between them.
The DNA technicians arrived the next afternoon.
One from Denver.
One from Colorado Springs.
Rachel Kim came personally.
She was forty-four, Korean American, compact, impeccably dressed, and had represented Alexandra for eleven years.
She entered Ethan’s house carrying two locked evidence cases and the facial expression of someone who had spent the entire drive preparing for impossible facts.
Then she saw Nora.
Rachel stopped.
“Oh.”
Alexandra knew.
Everyone who had known baby Emilia saw it.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Nora whispered to Ethan:
“Why does everybody cry when they look at me?”
Ethan put an arm around her.
“We’ve had a strange week.”
Rachel regained composure.
She crouched.
“Hi.”
“I’m Rachel.”
“I’m Alexandra’s friend.”
“Lawyer.”
Alexandra corrected.
Rachel glanced at her.
“Friend is cheaper.”
Nora smiled.
DNA swabs were simple.
Nora hated it anyway.
“That's it?”
she asked.
“That’s it.”
The first lab promised expedited results within thirty-six hours.
The second forty-eight.
Rachel remained after technicians left.
She opened an old file on Ethan’s dining table.
Crash reports.
Coroner certification.
Police records.
Alexandra sat opposite.
Ethan beside her.
Rachel pointed.
“This is the first problem.”
The death certificate for Emilia Vale had been issued seventy-two hours after the crash.
Cause:
Presumed death due to catastrophic thermal injury.
No body positively identified.
Alexandra stared.
“I knew that.”
“You knew emotionally.”
“You didn’t read legal foundation.”
“No.”
Rachel nodded.
“You were sedated for much of that week.”
“Victor had temporary medical power.”
Ethan frowned.
“Her uncle?”
“Yes.”
Rachel turned page.
“He also retained the private investigator.”
“Selected coroner liaison.”
“Handled insurance.”
“Closed reward hotline after four months.”
Alexandra stared.
“He told me police requested it.”
Rachel shook head.
“I found no written request.”
Ethan said:
“Hannah called a missing-child hotline.”
Everyone turned.
“When?”
“About six weeks after Nora came to us.”
“She told them about locket.”
“They said there was no active case matching.”
Rachel looked at Alexandra.
“Your active missing-person entry was closed on day four.”
Alexandra’s face emptied.
“What?”
Rachel slid document.
STATUS: DECEASED/PRESUMED. REMOVE ACTIVE ALERT.
Authorized by county investigator.
Requested by family representative.
Family representative:
Victor Vale.
Alexandra stood so quickly chair scraped backward.
“Son of a bitch.”
Nora was in living room.
Alexandra lowered voice.
Rachel said:
“Sit.”
Alexandra did not.
“My uncle closed the alert while I was still asking people to search.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Alexandra stared at papers.