Chapter 3: The Search
Chapter 3: The Search
By afternoon, detectives searched every room of my parents' house.
No one was allowed to leave.
Vanessa paced nervously.
My mother kept insisting it had all been a misunderstanding.
Then one detective entered Lily's bedroom.
Five minutes later, he called everyone upstairs.
He held up a small security camera.
Hidden inside a decorative teddy bear on the bookshelf.
My stomach turned.
"I've never seen that before," my mother quickly said.
The detective ignored her.
Another officer removed the memory card.
They watched the recording immediately.
The room fell silent.
The footage showed Vanessa entering Lily's room shortly after six that morning.
She carried a cup of juice.
Lily smiled.
Accepted it.
Within minutes she became sleepy.
Vanessa lifted her into her arms.
Then the camera lost sight of them as they left the room.
Nobody spoke.
Vanessa suddenly burst into tears.
"I didn't mean to hurt her!"
The detective looked at her.
"So you admit giving her something?"
She covered her mouth.
May you like
She had answered without realizing it.
An officer quietly placed handcuffs around her wrists.
