Phoebe Judge

They both missed it.

They thought maybe if they went back under their new names, it would be safe.

It had been a very long time, and the city was huge.

Sometimes Karen would Google Gil's name.

She usually didn't get a lot of search results, usually just Gill's appeal to the New York Supreme Court to have his conviction for weapons possessions overturned.

In 2006, Karen hired a private investigator.

He'd been recommended by a friend.

She learned that Gil was back in California, in a town called Santa Maria, just 150 miles from Los Angeles.

The investigator couldn't find a phone number or address or any utilities connected to him.

He said if she wanted more information, she could hire a local investigator.

She decided not to.

A couple of years later, in 2008, Karen's daughters were home for Christmas.

They gave Vinnie a present.

It was a book about how to adopt in California.

Karen went to Santa Maria.

She told the coroner she was Gil's ex-wife.

Karen later got to see Gil's case files at the courthouse.

He'd been arrested 18 times in four years for burglary, driving under the influence, and assault.

He died from a heart attack.

What was your daughter's reaction?