I had not called James in 2 years. He answered on the third ring. I explained the situation concisely, the way Roland had always told me to explain things to lawyers. Facts first, feelings never. James was quiet for a moment and then said something that I wrote down in the margin of my address book because I knew I would need to remember it.
Margaret, he said, ‘The first thing we need to establish is the chain of custody of that ticket. The second thing is your purchase history at that pharmacy. If you’ve been buying from the same location on the same day with the same numbers for 11 years, we can establish a pattern that significantly supports your claim.
Do not let them leave the house with that ticket, and do not confront them directly again until I’ve made some calls.’ I told him I understood. I hung up and sat for a moment in the quiet of my bedroom with Roland’s old cardigan folded on the chair in the corner and the smell of the house around me.