He got out of his car, walked to the back, and popped open the trunk. He pulled aside a pale-blue blanket that covered the spare tire. There, wedged inside the rim, was something he had hidden three years ago. A small stuffed animal: Lilly’s brown-and-white kangaroo. He’d put it there the night Patrice was gathering Lilly’s things in boxes. He hid it because he didn’t want every piece of his child to be packed away. He chose that toy because he’d given it to Lilly for her fourth birthday. Her final birthday.

“Daddy,” Lilly had said that day, pointing to a slit in the kangaroo’s belly, “baby kangaroos go in here.”

“That’s right,” LeFleur said. “It’s called a pouch.”

“Is the baby safe in the pouch?” Lilly asked.

“The baby is always safe with its mommy.”

“And its daddy,” she added, smiling.

Remembering that moment, LeFleur broke down. He sobbed so hard, his legs buckled. He squeezed the kangaroo close to his sternum. They hadn’t kept her safe. It was all their fault. He thought about the words of the little girl in the notebook: I will never leave you.

But Lilly had.

News

ANCHOR: Another new development in last year’s tragic sinking of the Galaxy yacht. Tyler Brewer has the details.

REPORTER: Following the news that a raft from the Galaxy has been discovered on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, the families of the victims have renewed their call to search the ocean for any remains. Today, Sextant Capital, Jason Lambert’s former company, announced that a salvage effort will begin immediately. Bruce Morris is Lambert’s former business partner, who has since taken over the firm.

BRUCE MORRIS: “We believe the recent news warrants a fuller exploration of the fate of the Galaxy. We have partnered with Nesser Ocean Explorations, the world’s top deep-ocean exploration company, to search the area where we last heard from the Galaxy, and to send down probes to the seabed. If there’s anything to be found, we will find it.”

REPORTER: Morris has cautioned that these efforts are often unsuccessful. And even if something were discovered, it’s unlikely that it would answer all the questions. But pressure from various governments and influential families has ratcheted up since that life raft appeared on Montserrat.

ANCHOR: Speaking of that, Tyler, has the man who discovered the raft been found?

REPORTER: Not as of yet. The media here ask about him every day. But so far, no response. It’s a rather small island. So it seems unlikely someone could go unseen for very long.

Land

“Good morning!” LeFleur said cheerily when the guesthouse door swung open. “Wanna go for a ride?”

“What time is it?” Dobby grumbled, rubbing his face.

“Around eight. I’m heading to the beach where we discovered the raft. I thought you might want to see it.”