The officers asked more questions about Clara’s habits, routines, and recent behavior. Adam’s answers wavered, shifting mid-sentence, contradicting earlier statements. He didn’t understand why things he once knew with conviction felt suddenly slippery and hard to articulate.
His anxiety that he would be considered responsible for her missing twisted everything, clouding recollection with dread. Memories felt sharp one moment, blurred the next. Fear hollowed him, leaving him unable to trust his own retelling. Every detail he offered felt like it slid out of his grasp as soon as he voiced it.