Chapter 3 - THE FACEThe officer’s name was Mara Benson.
Her partner was Officer Tyler Reed.
They did not show me the rest of the footage until Lily was in surgery.
Mara sat beside me in a consultation room.
My face still burned from Daniel’s slap.
She had photographed the redness with my permission.
Separate incident.
Separate investigation.
I hated that everything needed a category while my daughter was under anesthesia.
Mara opened the downloaded camera file on a department tablet.
“No one edits this,” she said. “We’re watching the original copy that was exported.”
I nodded.
The video began again.
Lily at the dining table.
Coloring.
Someone entered.
Approached.
Bent down.
Then turned toward the camera.
The face became visible.
I stopped breathing.
“Connor?”
My nephew.
Daniel’s sister Melissa’s son.
Fifteen years old.
Tall.
Pale blond hair.
Varsity jacket.
He had eaten dinner with us Tuesday.
Patricia had said he left with Melissa at six.
He had not.
On screen, Connor crouched beside Lily.
His back partly blocked the view.
His right hand went toward her mouth.
Lily turned away.
He grabbed her jaw.
My body surged toward the screen as though I could cross time.
“No.”
Mara stopped me from grabbing the tablet.
“Rachel.”
“He’s holding her.”
“I see.”
Connor’s hand went forward.
Lily shook her head.
He leaned close.
We could not hear clearly because the camera microphone was on the other side of the room.
Then Lily opened her mouth.
His fingers moved.
He waited.
Then reached into the pocket of his jacket.
Again.
A tiny silver flash between his fingers.
Again.
I stopped counting at six.
The video segment lasted four minutes.
Then Connor stood and left.
Lily remained in the chair.
She put both hands over her mouth.
Started crying.
Thirty seconds later Patricia entered.
I stared at the screen.
Patricia approached Lily.
Lily pointed toward the hallway.
Patricia looked down at the table.
Then toward the camera.
Directly toward it.
She bent close to Lily.
The audio caught one sentence.
“Stop making trouble.”
My stomach turned.
Patricia had known something.
Maybe not what.
May you like
But something.
And she had left my daughter sitting there.
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