“He arrived exhausted,” Evelyn said. “I had someone find him clean clothes. Then we talked through the night.”
“What about all the cars outside?”
“They belong to relatives and longtime family friends who believed Margaret’s story,” Evelyn replied. “I wanted them to hear the truth from Barry and from you.”
She looked toward Emma.
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“But I came personally because I needed to apologize—and because I hoped to meet my granddaughter.”
“Meeting her does not automatically make us a family,” I said.
“I understand.”
Barry reached into his coat again.
“There was something else with Rachel’s letters.”
He handed me an old envelope.
I recognized Frank’s handwriting before I opened it.
The letter explained that Evelyn had once offered Frank money to leave me.
I looked up slowly.
“You tried to pay my husband to abandon me?”
Evelyn did not deny it.
