Then Mr. Hall dragged the cursor forward.
The timestamp changed.
Megan appeared near the front of the store.
Officer Ruiz leaned closer.
Mr. Hall slowed the playback.
I could hear the small whir of the computer fan and Lily’s breathing against my shoulder.
No one needed to tell me this camera mattered.
It faced the one place every version of Megan’s story eventually had to pass through.
The doors.
If Megan had searched for Lily for almost an hour before leaving to get help, the footage could show when she actually walked out.
If Lily had run away first, the timing could support that too.
If Megan had done exactly what Lily described, the same camera might answer a question I had been trying not to ask since I found my daughter crouched behind those patio cushions.
Had Megan forgotten Lily?
Or had she known exactly where Lily was when she left?
