I stood beside the passenger door of my sedan and rubbed the brass button on my uniform cuff.

“You left a four-year-old child alone in a locked house for days.”

“I thought Evelyn was coming over,” Derek cried, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.

“My mother swore to me she paid Evelyn five hundred dollars in cash to stay in the guest room.

I swear on my life I didn’t know Lily was alone.”

“Evelyn has twenty-four-hour video of the front porch, Derek.

She never talked to Patricia.”