Trevor returned that evening with Mason and Harper, beach bags and suitcases piled behind them. He stopped when he saw the police car. “Why are there police here?” he demanded. I placed everything on the kitchen table: his messages telling me Eli was safe, the report documenting six days alone, the court summons connected to the investigation, and the airline confirmation showing Eli’s San Diego ticket had been canceled by Trevor before I ever left for Minneapolis. I had also contacted an attorney. Whatever happened next would go through the proper process.
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