Emily looked ashamed.
“I just wanted to collect the cake without Lily seeing it. Mrs. Parker offered to watch her for an hour.”
I understood. Lily’s birthday wasn’t until the following day, and Emily had planned a small surprise dinner.
She’d trusted a neighbor she’d known for years.
I couldn’t blame her for not imagining something so ridiculous.
But I wanted us both to learn from it.
“From now on,” I said, “we don’t leave Lily with Mrs. Parker.”
Emily nodded immediately. “Never again.”
The police arrived as Emily was helping Lily get ready for bed.
Two officers took my statement.
I showed them the screenshots, photographs, and video clips from my security cameras.
I’d installed cameras around the property after my husband died five years earlier.
The footage showed people entering through the side gate on several different days.
I hadn’t noticed the alerts because the camera system sent hundreds of notifications whenever trees moved or birds crossed the patio.
