I dialed 911. “I’m at the local kindergarten. A man approached my son through the back fence. He’s connected to my son’s fatal accident. I need officers here now.”
Ms. Alvarez reached for my arm. “Mrs. Elana—”
“Stay here. We’ll locate him.”
“Don’t,” I said.
Two officers arrived fast. One spoke to Ms. Alvarez. The other came to me.
“I’m Officer Haines,” he said. “Show me what you saw.”
I showed him the video.
His face hardened. “Stay here. We’ll locate him.”
My legs went weak. I sat.
“Who talked to you?”
A teacher brought Noah into the office.
He clutched a little plastic dinosaur. “Mom? Why are you here?”
I pulled him close. “I needed to see you.”
Noah patted my shoulder. “It’s okay. Ethan said—”
“Noah,” I said, pulling back. “Who talked to you?”
He stared down. “Ethan.”
“Did he tell you his name?”
“No,” I said carefully. “What did the person look like?”
Noah blinked. “A man.”
My stomach turned. “Did he touch you?”
“No,” Noah said quickly. “He gave me this.” He held up the dinosaur. “He said it was from Ethan.”
Officer Haines crouched. “Did he tell you his name?”
Noah shook his head. “He said he was sorry.”
“I want to see him.”
“For what?”
Noah whispered, “For the crash.”
My chest felt bruised.
Another officer spoke quietly to Haines.
Haines stood. “We found him. Near the maintenance shed. He’s cooperating.”
My mouth went dry. “I want to see him.”
The man sat at the table without his cap. Thin hair. Red eyes.
Haines hesitated. “Ma’am—”
“I need to.”
He nodded. “Not alone.”
They took us to a small conference room.
The man sat at the table without his cap. Thin hair. Red eyes. Hands clasped tight. He looked up when I entered.
“Mrs. Elana,” he said hoarsely.
“Do not speak to the child.”
