“He wore a suit,” she said. “Like… like the kind people wear when they’re important.”
That was enough to set something cold and deliberate into motion in Garrett’s mind. He didn’t interrupt. He let her continue.
“He talked to Aunt Marlene for a long time. I wasn’t supposed to listen, but I did anyway.” She glanced up briefly, as if checking whether she was in trouble, then went on when he didn’t respond. “He said he was worried about me. That I needed a more stable home. That Aunt Marlene was ‘overextended.’”
The word sounded strange coming from her mouth, like something borrowed and not fully understood.
“And what did your aunt say?” Garrett asked quietly.
Sadi’s jaw tightened in a way that didn’t belong on an eight-year-old. “She told him to leave.”
