Maria knocked. The door opened. A tall man in his forties stood there. His voice was calm. Too calm. “Good evening, officers. I’m Thomas Miller.”
Daniel spoke firmly. “We received a 911 call from this address.”
Thomas frowned. “That must be a mistake.”
Daniel didn’t flinch. “A little girl called.”
For a split second, Thomas’s expression shifted. Maria caught it.
“My daughter is asleep,” he said quickly.
But then—a faint sob from the stairs. A girl in pink pajamas appeared, clutching a worn stuffed rabbit. Her eyes were swollen from crying.
“Daddy…” she whispered.
Her hands trembled. She avoided looking at him.
That was enough. Maria stepped inside.
THE TRUTH UNFOLDS/
Upstairs, Emily’s room told the story. Dirty sheets. Broken toys. Bruises on her arms. She clutched her rabbit like a lifeline.
Maria knelt beside her. “Emily… sweetie… can you tell us what happened?”
The girl’s voice was barely audible. “He said that if I told anyone… he would kill me…”
The officers exchanged a glance. The air in the room felt heavy, suffocating.
