Her eyes, wide pools of fear, met mine. “I didn’t want to get Daddy in trouble. I just… I didn’t know what else to do,” she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. The words were like daggers to my heart, each one embedding deeper than the last.

The older officer sat across from us, his notepad in hand. “Mrs. Collins, we’re going to need a detailed account of what Emma saw and any other relevant information about your husband’s whereabouts and behavior.”

I glanced at Emma, then back to the officers. “Daniel has been under a lot of stress lately with work. He’s a surgeon, you know, and it’s not unusual for him to be called in at odd hours… but he’s never shown any signs of violence. This must be a mistake.”