Cami took them off, and he sat her beside him and took her feet in his lap.

“This little piggy went to market . . .” he began.

“Why to market?” Cami said.

“Just listen,” Izabel said.

When Opa and Jana returned, Opa said Jana was doing better, but only because Jana was sure they’d caught the killer. Opa said, “If we’re wrong . . .”

“I understand,” Izabel said.

“You can take her with you, but only if you or Kaito can be with her at all times.”

“We can,” Izabel said.

“Do you understand the gravity of this?” Opa said.

Izabel said, “Yes,” even though she didn’t know if she did.

What else could she say?

Home again, Izabel sat on the couch as Cami pulled out toys to show Jana. Kaito went to check on his machine. She heard it hum. She kept looking toward the doors, to where Patrick had stood. Where they’d stood together. Close enough to touch.

Izabel got up to make dinner.

Jana told her that she liked the house, that it reminded her of her old home, but not too much. Because of Kaito’s office in the third bedroom, the girls would be sharing a room. Jana said she liked that, too. Izabel thought about how the girls would probably only be happy sharing a room for another two years or so. But that seemed like a long time right now.

Paz told them she would set up cameras outside the house, and would drop off suits for all of them, just in case. She also told them, over and over, she had her guy. Izabel caught herself looking at the doors again.

During dinner, Cami asked Kaito to tell them a story.

“Which one?” Kaito asked.

“All of them!” Cami said. “One hundred! Until the ao andō appears!”

“No, baby,” he said. “You don’t want the ao andō to appear.”

“What’s the ao andō?” Jana asked.

“A ghost!” Cami said. “She’s got long hair, and claws!”

“Seriously?” Jana said.

“Speak of the devil and he will appear,” Izabel said.

    Chapter Thirty-Two

The next morning started off normally enough. Cami went to school, Jana went to see her tutor, Kaito retreated into his office, the news was triumphant, and Izabel collapsed onto the couch, picking an episode of Doctor Who to watch. Is this my life now? she asked herself. Is this my life again?

But before it had even reached 10 a.m., Paz called Izabel and Andy down to the station. Izabel couldn’t help but feel a bit of a thrill.

At the police station, while they waited for Paz, Andy leaned in close to Izabel and said, “I can’t believe it.”

“It didn’t go like we thought,” Izabel said.

“Not that. I can’t believe a tree has been in Cami this whole time.”

“Haven’t we seen each other since then?”