My stepmother called me at the end of the day, her voice so smug I could practically hear the smile on her lips, and told me that from now on I would never be allowed to set foot in the family beach house again because she had already changed every lock.

She turned to the officers who looked relieved to see the situation being handled. “We will provide certified copies of everything for the record,” Lydia said.

The older officer looked at Victoria. “Ma’am, you need to leave the property now,” he ordered.

“And where exactly am I supposed to go?” she demanded. “That is a logistical matter not resolved by illegal possession,” Lydia replied.

Victoria turned sharply and walked out of the house. Cassandra lingered for a moment and looked at me.

“I didn’t know about the trust,” she said quietly. “That doesn’t excuse the message you sent,” I told her.

“No, it doesn’t,” she admitted before following her mother. The sound of the front door closing echoed through the house.

Donnelly changed the locks again while I watched each screw turn. When the last car pulled out of the driveway, the house became unbearably still.

I stood alone in the kitchen with Lydia and felt the adrenaline draining away. “Where does your mother keep the tea?” Lydia asked.

The question nearly made me cry again. “In the second cabinet to the left of the stove,” I whispered.

An hour later we were sitting at the table making a list of everything that was missing. “Did Cassandra say those exact words about selling the place?” Lydia asked.

“She said Dad was going to sell it anyway,” I confirmed. Lydia nodded and made a note on her legal pad.

“Good, we will use that in the hearing,” she said. I laughed weakly and looked at her.

“You are the least soothing person I know,” I said. “I am extremely soothing in environments where aggression is the preferred form of comfort,” she joked.

Then the front door opened without a knock. My father stepped into the hall carrying a leather duffel bag.

He looked older and thinner than the last time I had seen him. “Audrey,” he said with a wounded dignity.

I didn’t stand up to greet him. “You signed the acknowledgment, Harrison,” I said.

“I want to explain everything to you,” he started. “No, you want to manage the situation,” Lydia interrupted.

He gave her a long and tired look. “This should be a private family matter,” he said.

“It stopped being private when Victoria filed a false police report,” Lydia reminded him. He looked at me with a pleading expression.

“You have to understand how things were at the time,” he said. “No, you have to understand how things are right now,” I replied.