Welcome to case closed. You're listening to the Block Party by Jamie Day, narrated by Megan Tousing and Susie Jackson.

Let's pick up where we left off last week.

Chapter 4. Morning sun streamed through the kitchen windows, like a beacon announcing the arrival of a new

day. For Alex, that meant back to the routine. Not quite the grind, as she worked for herself.

She was one of several Alton Road residents who had argued, unsuccessfully, to hold the block party on a Sunday, not the Monday of Memorial

Day. She just wanted an extra day for recovery. She took her first desperate gulp of coffee, too aware of the pounding in her head,

regretting her choice to cap off the party with that final late night glass of wine.

She'd enjoyed yesterday's festivities well enough, but was glad it would be

another year before they'd unpack the supplies to do it again. She'd barely gotten her first rejuvenating jolt of caffeine, when into the kitchen trotted Zoe,

the family dog, a brownish, whitish, yellowish mutt that everyone loved, and only one person fed.

Zoe had come from the local animal shelter after months of Lettie begging for a pet.

Nick was resistant given their busy schedules,

but Alex felt continually guilty that Lettie was an only.

Eventually, Nick warmed to the idea,

but he never thought of Zoe as his responsibility.

In his mind, this was Lettie's dog.

In a way, he was right.

Without Lettie, there'd be no Zoe.

Whenever Lettie cried about not having a sister or brother, Alex broke inside.

It wasn't by choice. But that was too much to explain to a child.

By the time Lettie was old enough to understand, she'd grown accustomed to her status.

Once she stopped asking for a sibling and started asking for a dog,

...