He find his daughter locked in a dog cage—then her warning about the pool reveals someone is still inside
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Chapter 15 / 27
Chapter 15 - The bruises
Emily’s bruises were not proof of prolonged beating.
Important.
Her forearm bruise matched Cole grabbing her during the first attempted run toward Mrs. Harris’s property.
The knee bruise could have come from falling inside the kennel or earlier play.
A smaller mark near her shoulder was nonspecific.
No fractures.
No internal injury.
No evidence of sexual abuse.
No evidence she had been starved.
Police and medical professionals resisted turning every mark into a dramatic accusation.
I appreciated that later.
At the time, every bruise looked like a crime scene.
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Accuracy protects victims too.
Exaggerated claims can make true ones easier to attack.
