She had named it Professor Peanut and insisted he understood French.

The memory was so ordinary that it steadied me.

A call to Detective Bell went to voicemail.

I left the sender information and a brief description, then forwarded a screenshot through the secure contact method he had provided.

I would not hide evidence from the people assigned to protect my child, even if I distrusted the system’s speed.

That was the difference between my old life and the life I wanted.

I could not keep making decisions in rooms where nobody else knew the rules.