I did not answer Mom.
At Oakridge Market, Mr. Hall led us through a narrow employee hallway into the security office.
The room was colder than the rest of the store.
Lily pressed her face into my sleeve while I sat with her beside the desk.
A paper cup rolled gently beneath Mr. Hall’s chair whenever he moved his foot.
There were several screens in front of him.
Officer Ruiz stood behind us with his notebook open.
Megan had followed in a separate car after arguing that she should be allowed to explain whatever we were about to see.
Mr. Hall said very little.
He clicked through the recordings.
The first camera showed Megan and Lily walking into the store together.
The timestamp matched the general time Megan had left Mom’s house.
Lily was beside the cart.
Megan was pushing it.
Nothing about that part looked unusual.
Then Mr. Hall opened footage from another section of the store.
