“You’ve been really nice, offering to help and all, and I want you to know that Tommy and I appreciate it.”

This dramatic shift in attitude seemed a little too good to be true. “What changed your mind?” she asked.

“Dad’s lawyer, Mr. Esterhaus, he got us this counselor and she’s helped us sort things out.”

“That’s good,” said Lucy, who was feeling a whole lot better about the boys’ situation.

“Well, we gotta be going,” said Preston.

“Just one other thing,” said Tommy, making eye contact with Sara. “My dad didn’t, well, he didn’t do it.”

“Yeah,” added Preston. “That’s for sure.”

“Listen, guys, I found out some interesting stuff. Why don’t you come in the house so I can tell you about it.”

“Okay,” said Preston, with a shrug.

Inside the kitchen, Libby welcomed them by attempting her usual wiggles and jumps though she was unable to give them the full routine because of her stitches. Lucy sent Sara upstairs to take a shower and sat the boys at the kitchen table, where she passed out cold cans of soda, which they promptly drained in one gulp, setting the cans carefully on the table in front of them.

“I interviewed this priest today, Father Keenan. He’s retired now but he used to work at a church in Jamaica Plain and he knew your family. Well, your mother’s family.”

The boys relaxed attitude suddenly changed. Lucy felt as if they were hanging on her every word.

“You don’t know anything about your mother’s family?” she asked.

They shook their heads. “Mom always said she didn’t have any family. She was raised by a series of foster parents and the less said about them, the better,” said Preston. Tommy nodded in agreement.

“Well, she did have a family. Her father was a Boston cop who was shot during a bank heist. Her mother was left with two kids, your mom and her brother, but she died soon after.” Lucy decided to omit the fact that Mimi’s mother had committed suicide.

“And this homeless guy who drowned? He really was her brother? Our uncle?”

Lucy nodded. “His name was Thomas Preston O’Toole. You were both named after him.”

“This is really blowing my mind,” said Preston. “I wonder why she never tried to contact him.”

“Maybe the past was so painful she didn’t want to open it up.” Lucy didn’t say what she thought was the more likely reason: that Mimi felt reopening the past would be dangerous. It certainly seemed that the key to her murder would be found in the past. “If you think of anything, anything at all that might help, please tell me. And remember, if you need anything, my offer’s still good.”