Sarah Koenig

Why the secrecy?

But it's you, but you're one of them.

I mean, you're basically saying I'm succumbing to this irrational... Oh, yes.

Ali and others told me that their community is judgmental.

Right and wrong is drummed into you early and often.

Adults judge kids' behavior, which then gets reflected back onto their parents.

This is certainly not unique to their community, and the other thing that isn't unique is how close-knit it is.

Information and gossip travel swiftly, and you don't want to be the one who goes against the grain or says something that could hurt Adnan or his parents.

No one wants to end up in hot water.

I live in a small town.

I understand that.

But what I hadn't totally understood, I think, is how scared people were when Adnan got arrested.

I got an anonymous text recently that said, quote,

Some people did speak out on tape.

I mean, Rabi and Saad Chowdhury obviously did, and there are others too.

But there's also a significant faction of people, including Ali, who are scared.

Ali said his parents were especially protective, like a 10 on the protective scale, so that after Adnan was arrested, they were frantic about his safety.

His own life changed because of it.

That really happened?

Oh my God.