“Because of the postcard.”
“What postcard?”
Chloe reached into the pocket of her yellow cardigan and pulled out a worn piece of paper.
Denise took it carefully.
It was not truly a postcard. It was a photograph cut from a larger picture, folded many times until the edges had softened. In the photo, Gavin was crouched beside a tiny blonde girl on a porch, helping her hold a fishing pole. Both of them were laughing.
On the back, in Gavin’s handwriting, were the words:
When you’re scared, tell the truth out loud. It gets smaller that way.
Denise felt her eyes sting.
“He wrote it before?” she asked.
Chloe nodded. “Before jail. I kept it in my shoe at first. Then in my pillow. Today I put it in my pocket.”
“Why today?”
“Because if I didn’t tell, the truth would stay big forever.”
Denise turned away for a moment, pretending to read over her notes.
