This whole kidnapping ordeal had been strange, and the way it ended was even more strange. Kate didn't take much time to think about this because her brother was about to graduate high school and go to college.

She was excited to wait to see which college would admit him. For many years, she had taken care of her brother as a parent, and she felt the same anxiety as a parent would.

At the end of March, her brother Max called. He sounded depressed. "Kate, I was not admitted to the ...