Exactly when she planned to come to the house.
And then I found the message that made my hands go cold.
Mom: If she tells him about the dresser, deny everything. Denise will back us up.
I looked at Emma.
“You had these the whole time?”
She nodded.
“I was afraid to show you.”
“Why?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because I didn’t know if you would believe me.”
I didn’t answer immediately.
Not because I doubted her.
Because I was ashamed that she had ever needed to wonder.
I forwarded every message to my own phone, then uploaded copies to a secure drive.
The locksmith called.
“Every exterior lock has been replaced,” he said. “Nobody can use the old keys.”
I thanked him.
Then I turned back to Emma.
“We’re not going home tonight.”
She looked relieved.
The next morning, my mother arrived at the hospital.
