Chapter 3 - The Permit Proves Lily Remembered
The hearing had begun as an emergency custody matter.
It became something else within minutes.
Vanessa’s attorney argued Lily could have overheard adults discussing
the renovation.
The child advocate asked Lily whether anyone had told her the room was
blue.
“No.”
“How did you know?”
“Because the walls are blue.”
“What was inside?”
“Mommy’s boxes. A broken lamp. Daddy’s old golf bag. And the camera.”
I stopped breathing.
“What camera?” the advocate asked.
Lily pointed toward the upper corner of the courtroom.
“Like that one. But smaller.”
Vanessa whispered something urgently to her attorney.
Judge Hayes noticed.
So did I.
The judge ordered that no one enter or alter the garage area until
investigators could document it.
Vanessa protested.
“It’s my home too.”
Judge Hayes answered calmly.
“And that is precisely why nobody is touching anything.”
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For the first time, Vanessa looked afraid of something other than losing
custody.
