“His identification reached the receiving facility,” Eli told Mira. “His family was contacted. Tessa checked the records.”
Mira looked at Tessa rather than him. “You spoke with them?”
“Yes.”
“Were they told what happened?”
“What we could establish,” Tessa said. “They still need answers.”
Eli heard how much the short answer left out. Ada’s questions. Tomas wanting Dain’s name to reach people before the accusation hardened around it. The funeral numbers on scraps of paper. He had no right to turn those details into proof of his own kindness.
“They want his belongings returned,” he said. “And an explanation. They didn’t ask us to make them part of a campaign.”
Mira’s hand moved toward the card inside her wrist strap. Relief crossed her face before she contained it. It was visible enough that Eli knew he had not imagined the change, and brief enough that he could not name its cause.
