He runs a hand through his hair and looks as though he regrets making the comment. “It’s just …” He pauses, trying to find the right words. “Your dad’s disappearance and my dad being accused of having something to do with it caused a lot of conflict around here, and division. Local people, especially the ones who knew my dad well, saw it as a class thing. Rich cottagers relying on locals and then turning on them. The police were criticized for bringing my dad in, but then cottagers complained not enough was being done to solve the mystery of your dad’s disappearance. Tensions ran high after you guys left. Locals even turned on each other. The ones who thought my dad was guilty and that he’d caused bad press for the community, and then the ones who thought he was innocent and resented that not everyone backed him up.”

I have to give my head a shake. “It’s still amazing to me—confounding, actually—that all of this was going on and we had no idea.”

Ezra frowns. “Your mom knew. She knew about it all.”

“The entire extent of it?”

He’s quick to nod. “I’m sorry to say, June, but she did things that made it worse.”

I take a deep breath, not sure I’m ready to hear it but not sure I have much choice either. “What kind of things?”

“Do you remember how your parents donated a bunch of money to fix the roof of the local church? The one that held a Sunday service just for cottagers?”

“I don’t really remember the donating-money part. My parents were always donating money to things; I never really paid attention. I do remember my mother dragging us there on Sundays.”

“Well, in return for donating the money, they dedicated an entire pew to your family with a plaque on it. After everything happened, some people demanded to have the pew removed and get rid of all recognition of your family’s contribution. Your mother heard about it, and she said if they did that, then the church would have to pay back the entire donation. She threatened them with lawyers, and so the minister of the church felt he didn’t have much choice but to leave it there. And then he was transferred to a different church. There was also the investigating officer of your dad’s disappearance. When they didn’t arrest West for it, your mother tried to get him fired.”

I bring both hands to my head and give my temples a massage. I can feel a massive headache coming on. “Okay,” I say. “I get it. My family is not popular in these parts. I wish I’d known that before coming.”