Inside were clear photos of the dark oval bruise on Emma’s upper arm, the exact dates of every family visit to my mother’s house over two years, and detailed notes on every harsh word Vanessa had shouted at my daughter.

Detective Mitchell clicked her blue ballpoint three times before writing my name across the top tab.

She opened the cover and leafed through the first four pages without a word.

“This timeline matches what the medical examiner found in Emma’s first evaluation,” Mitchell said, running a finger down a column of dates.

“The earlier pinch marks line up with your entries from June.”

“I wrote them in my teacher’s planner because I thought I was just being oversensitive,” I said.