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CHAPTER 16

The Missing Years

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Austin Regional Intelligence Center

Image from the Austin city government website

Sacred Heart Cafeteria 

1960s photo of the outside entrance to the combination school cafeteria, auditorium and fallout shelter

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Father Andrew McClean

Farewell letter from Sacred Heart Church's first Air Force pastor

Ridgemont Sales Ad

Real Estate listing for 1902 Ridgemont2

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Helen's own voice describing Jerry's childhood, education and interests

Letter from Jerry to Helen September 14, 1954. Jerry is in Baltimore and Helen is in Puerto Rico following Puerto Rican nationalists' attack on US capitol in March.

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INSPIRATIONS EXPLAINED...

     The images and documents shared on each chapter's inspirations page are real but the story isn't. What that means is that you are looking at the same things we were while working to uncover the secrets our parents hid. We soon discovered, as you will, that there were too many gaps left unfilled to present a complete history of their lives. So, rather than leaving those gaps unfilled, we used logic and reason, along with large doses of imagination, to fill the gaps. 


     The inspirations pages give you a chance to look at exactly the same things we looked at in the fictional reconstruction of the real investigation presented in the book. If that sounds convoluted and contradictory now, just wait until you hear Helen's tapes...

    

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The book is a work of fiction inspired by elements of family lore and historical themes. All characters, events, institutions, programs, and technologies depicted in this companion to the book are portrayed in a fictionalized and speculative manner. Any real-world references are used for narrative context only and do not represent factual claims about actual persons, organizations, or historical events.

The story incorporates imagined reconstructions, subjective recollections, and AI-generated analyses that model uncertainty and inference; these elements are presented as hypotheses and narrative devices within the fictional world and should not be understood as verified or authoritative accounts. Names, characteristics, affiliations, timelines, and actions have been altered, combined, or invented for creative purposes. Any resemblance to real persons or entities—living or dead—is coincidental and does not imply actual conduct, intent, or involvement. This companion site and the novel represent an alternate-reality interpretation and should be read as speculative fiction.

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