Because I knew exactly who that child had been.
The breakthrough came three days later.
A social worker interviewed Lily with pediatric specialists present.
No parents.
No lawyers.
No pressure.
Just trained professionals.
Children often reveal things differently when they feel safe.
Lily drew pictures.
Answered questions.
Talked about routines.
Then she described what happened.
The account remained consistent.
Every time.
With every interviewer.
With every retelling.
Consistency matters.
Especially when compared to changing adult stories.
And adult stories were changing rapidly.
Kate’s version changed twice.
Then three times.
My ex-wife’s timeline shifted.
Then shifted again.
Small details stopped matching.
Investigators noticed.
They always do.
A week after I first walked into that hospital room, Detective Collins visited my house.
She sat at my kitchen table while coffee cooled between us.
“The district attorney is reviewing charges.”
I stared at her.
Against whom?
Even though I already knew.
