The will reading took place at half past ten on Thursday morning. Priscilla Vanterpool, who had handled our family’s business for decades, read the document aloud. It was short: the house was to be sold and the proceeds divided equally. Everything else was also to be split equally. Callum leaned back with his arms folded, looking as though he wanted the meeting finished.

Then Priscilla removed her glasses. She explained that Dad had left a second legal document, dated August ninth, and requested that it be handled with both of us present. It was a codicil, accompanied by a recording. Callum immediately sat forward. According to Priscilla’s file, Dad had visited her office alone that morning, arriving by bus at half past nine and staying for two hours and ten minutes. Nobody in the family knew about the appointment. She turned her monitor toward us and pressed play. There was my father, sitting in the very room where we were now waiting.