Chapter 5 - The little rubber cups
The marks did not come from cigarettes.
Not needles.
Not chemical burns.
They came from small silicone suction cups.
Bethany carried a cosmetic massage set.
Eight flexible cups in different sizes.
She used them occasionally on her shoulders and arms after workouts.
I had seen the bag once.
Never thought about it.
Daniel told police that earlier in the year, Bethany had jokingly pressed one onto his forearm.
It left a circular red mark for nearly an hour.
“When I saw Rosie’s arms, I knew the shape.”
Investigators did not rely on his guess.
Bethany’s purse remained at my parents’ house.
With consent from the appropriate person and later through formal evidence procedures, police documented the contents.
The silicone set was there.
Several cups.
Nothing magical.
No blood.
No confession written on them.
Just objects consistent with what Rosie later described.
The medical conclusion was that the circular marks appeared compatible with localized suction pressure.
Temporary.
Painful enough to upset a child.
May you like
Unlikely to cause permanent injury.
The cheek bruise required a different explanation.
