“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”
And suddenly I had the terrible feeling that the worst part of Evelyn Carter’s past hadn’t even been uncovered yet.
Sophie was discharged two days later. Physically, she recovered quickly. Children often did. Their bodies fought harder than adults expected.
Emotionally, the damage was harder to measure.
She flinched when doors slammed. She asked permission before touching the refrigerator. Every night she checked the bedroom window twice before sleeping.
Still, she smiled when she saw me in the morning. She hugged me tightly when I came back from the grocery store. She laughed quietly at cartoons the way she used to. Those small things felt like victories.
But the investigation was far from over.
Three days after Sophie came home, Detective Bennett called.
“Mr. Miller, we need you and Laura to come to the station.”
His tone was serious.
“Did you find something?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Something about Laura’s childhood.”