“What?”
“You told me he had stopped responding. You told me he had changed addresses and made it impossible to find the girls.”
“I told you that because you said you would help me contact them!”
“And I believed you.”
“You said you had people who could find anyone!”
“Enough, Elena.”
His voice was low and controlled, but his face had become rigid.
I watched them argue, and a memory returned to me.
Three years after Elena left, I had received an unexpected phone call from a woman who said she worked at Julian’s company. She had asked whether I had received a letter from Elena.
I told her I had not.
She had gone silent, then apologized and ended the call.
At the time, I assumed it was a mistake.
Now I wondered what she had been trying to tell me.
I stepped closer to Julian.
“Did Elena ever ask you to help her contact the girls?”
