Nobody was paying attention to the backyard.”

“I heard crying,” the dark-haired woman said, looking straight at Officer Vance.

“Around ten thirty.

I figured it was a cat by the back porch.”

Jaclyn glared at the woman, her fingers curling into a tight fist against the kitchen laminate.

“It was just a little disagreement about bedtime,” Jaclyn said, her voice jumping half an octave.

“Parents deal with this every single day.”

“You’re not his parent,” I said.