WHILE VISITING MY FUTURE IN-LAWS, I SAW MY SIL LOOKING PALE AND EXHAUSTED, EATING WATERY OATMEAL. AS I LEFT, SHE SECRETLY SLIPPED ME A NOTE: “COME BACK AT 10 P.M. YOU WILL SEE WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE!”

clothes, put two fully charged phones into my bag, activated cloud backup, and texted my location to my colleague Maya.

Then I drove back toward the Mercer estate.

Whatever Emily needed me to witness at ten o’clock, I intended to make certain it could never be buried.

Part 2

At 9:57 p.m., I parked two houses away and approached from the side street.

Emily had written an additional message on the back of her note.

Kitchen window. Don’t knock.

Through the partially open window, I could hear voices