At the door, Mrs. Alvarez pressed the paper bag into my hands.
“There’s tea in a thermos,” she said. “And a scarf.”
“I can’t take these.”
“You can return the thermos.”
“And the food?”
“That can stay with you.”
I thanked her.
She touched my arm lightly.
“Whatever you find tonight, remember that the truth belongs to you. No one else gets to decide what you do with it.”
I looked at her.
“Did Claire say that?”
“No.” Mrs. Alvarez smiled sadly. “I did.”
Outside, the snow had thickened. Daniel
