“I heard a loud metal crash downstairs and then my sister screaming.”

“Did you actually see the pan go through the air?”

“No,” I said.

“I ran right down the stairs and found Emma unconscious by the syrup on the floor.”

Detective Mitchell leaned back in her chair and shifted the pen in her hand.

“Given the head injury and the older bruise found on your daughter’s arm, state law requires a formal child protection investigation.”

“What does that mean for my family, then?” I asked.