Chapter 21 — The Footage

At a quarter past ten that morning, Officer Torres returned with new evidence.

The investigators had pulled the recordings from the exterior security cameras mounted around the Vance estate, the expensive system Arthur had installed to protect his property, and it had recorded everything.

I will not describe the footage in detail, because I watched it once and I have spent effort since trying to unsee it, and because there is nothing to be gained by laying out, frame by frame, the sight of a child being put out into a storm.

It is enough to say that it showed clearly what had happened: that Lucas had been shoved out the front door, that he had stood on the porch knocking and waiting and knocking again, that he had finally gone to try the side gate.