The message had been sent minutes before I arrived.

Officer Ruiz explained that the picture did not, by itself, prove every allegation.

Combined with the video and changing accounts, however, it helped establish the timeline.

For me, the hardest part was realizing how carefully Brenda had tried to shape the story while Hailey was still hurt.

There was another development.

A preschool staff member remembered Brenda arriving with Hailey twice in the previous month and making remarks about the child being difficult.

One day Hailey had a scrape on her arm, which Brenda attributed to a fall.