Someone fetched security footage. The grainy video showed it all—the dog pushing through the doors, the girl slumped over him, the panic turning to awe. Watching it made Elena’s chest tighten. The detectives leaned in closer. “Look at that,” one murmured. “Straight to the emergency. No hesitation.”
They promised updates before leaving—fingerprints, missing child databases, anything that might put a name to the small face behind the glass. Elena watched them jot numbers, pocket evidence bags, and straighten their coats. She’d seen police come and go a thousand times, but never with a case that felt this personal.