I Found My Five-Year-Old in the Garage Freezer—Then Her Mother’s Signed Statement Changed the Story I Had Been Told

“Double knot?”

“Double knot.”

She tested both feet against the floor.

“Too tight?” I asked.

“No.”

I loosened the right one a little anyway because the lace had pulled unevenly.

She watched me finish, then looked toward the chair where the gray hoodie hung.

“It’s damp.”