My daughter gave up her dream prom dress to give it to a girl who couldn't afford one, and put on a suit instead. When she entered the gym, the principal cried and called the police.

I didn't understand how to proceed without him.

"What ambiguities?" I asked.

The officer looked at the jacket.

— On the day of the crash, Stefan Nikolov was supposed to meet a man associated with the disappearance of funds from a construction project near Botevgrad. He has reported to several institutions.

"No," I said.

The headmistress looked at me.

He called me a week before he died.

I turned to her.

"What?"

I didn't know where she lived. I didn't even know if he was alive. But then he called me. After all these years.

Her voice broke.

He told me he had a problem. That he found something wrong with a construction site. He said someone was following him. I told him to go to the police. He said he would.

She put her hand on her mouth.

I heard the news of the accident. I tried to find you, Maria. But I didn't know your last name. I didn't know where you were. And he had long since cut off any connection with us.

Nora was shaking hands tighter and tighter.

"Dad didn't crash by accident?" she asked.

I couldn't answer.

The younger officer squatted slightly to be at her level.

We don’t know that, Nora. But there's reason to review the case again.

"Why right now?" I asked.

The older officer pointed to the jacket.

"Because the symbol and the surname gave us a connection with Mrs. Valcheva. And she told us about the call and some documents she kept.

The principal nodded.

Stefan had sent me an envelope. I got it two days after his funeral. I didn't open it right away. I was angry. I was convinced that he had only sought me out because he was afraid and then disappeared from my life.

She wiped away her tears.

There were copies of documents in the envelope. Accounts. Photos. And a letter saying that if something happened to him, I should hand them over to a man named Hristo Dragiev.

"Who is Hristo Dragiev?" I asked.

The officer's face tightened.

Former municipal councilor in Botevgrad. At the time, he was connected to the company that was running the project.

"Why didn't you hand over the papers?" I heard myself ask.