I laid everything on the table and photographed each page before touching the next.
It did not take long to find the care deposits.
They arrived regularly.
The amounts were clearly marked, and the timing matched the months my parents had been responsible for Lizzy.
Then I found the withdrawals.
Restaurants.
Electronics.
Trips.
New purchases for my mother.
There were repeated charges that had nothing to do with food, clothing, school supplies, or caring for a child.
I searched for grocery receipts large enough to support three people.
I found almost none.
I searched for children’s clothing, school materials, medicine, or anything that suggested Lizzy had benefited from those deposits.
There was very little.
Shopping bags sat in a corner near the laundry room, still holding tissue paper and empty boxes.
Receipts had been shoved inside them.
I photographed those too.
One purchase had been made only days after my mother told me she could not afford to replace Lizzy’s worn shoes.
