“I’m coming.”
There was a pause.
“Iris—”
“I am coming.”
This time, Daniel did not argue.
Crown Ridge Archives sat beyond the city limits, past a line of bare sycamore trees and a gated road marked PRIVATE PROPERTY. The building itself looked more like a museum than a storage facility: limestone facade, tinted windows, discreet cameras tucked under the eaves. It was the kind of place wealthy people used when they wanted to hide things in plain sight.
Daniel, Priya, the court-appointed examiner, and I arrived just after nine.
To my surprise, Madison was already there.
She stood near the entrance wearing dark trousers and a camel coat, her hair pulled back simply. Without the white dress, without Jason at her side, she looked younger. Tired. Human.
Daniel stepped slightly in front of me. “Ms. Brooks.”
