At the bottom, I found a picture from her final summer.
My aunt Sabrina stood beside her, smiling at the camera.
On her feet were the same white sneakers.
Sabrina had been my mother’s younger sister.
After Mom died, she helped my father with everything. She cooked meals, handled paperwork, and stayed with him when I returned to college.
Then she withdrew from us.
She claimed it hurt too much to visit the house.
I had believed her.
I called Rachel.
“Do you remember meeting my aunt Sabrina?”
“Once, at your graduation party.”
“Did you tell her about Graham?”
Rachel went silent.
“Yes.
She found me crying in the bathroom. I told her everything.”
The final piece settled into place.
Sabrina knew Rachel’s secret. She knew my father’s schedule. She knew my habits. She also had access to the house for years.
I drove to her apartment before I could lose my nerve.
