I had expected one night.
There were three weeks.
Elena placed the device in the bag and sealed it.
“Then we preserve all of it.”
“All of it?”
“Until someone determines what matters.”
She wrote 02/08 on the evidence form.
The number sat there beside the description of the camera, and I kept looking at it.
At 6:15, Elaine was waiting in the police station hallway with my coat folded over one arm.
She came toward me and held it out.
“You left this on the chair.”
I took the coat.
“Madison, what happened?”
“I am still trying to answer that.”
Her eyes went to the scrape on my phone case.
“Did Aaron do that?”
“I do not know.”
She touched the coat button near the pocket.
“You always know when something is missing.”
“I know.”\
She looked toward the interview room.
“Can I come in?”
“Not yet.”
She lowered her voice. “Is your father there?”
“Yes.”
“Has he told them his version?”
“Yes.”
Elaine folded the coat again, then unfolded it.
“Is there something you are not telling me?”
I looked toward the evidence room door.
“I need to know who can see the recording first.”
She stopped folding.
“What recording?”
I could not answer that yet.
She studied my face for a few seconds, then gave me the coat.
“Your button is missing.”
I looked down.
It was the little brown button from the pocket.
“I thought you would notice.”
“I notice those things.”
She tried to smile, but it did not last.
At seven, Elena brought us into the kitchen. Aaron stood beside the table, straightening a salt shaker that was already straight.
