“Do I have to sit near the back?”
“No, sweetheart.”
“Could I sit close to Mr. Frank?”
“He said that would be fine.”
She smiled brightly.
It was the first time since Tuesday that she’d seemed genuinely excited about going to school.
Before leaving, I verified that her emergency contact details were accurate in the school’s records.
We’d also discussed what she should do if anyone ever claimed I’d asked them to collect her.
Ellie understood that she could request help from a school employee and ask them to contact me directly.
She knew she shouldn’t accompany someone merely because they knew her name.
And she understood that whenever something seemed suspicious, she should immediately speak with an adult she trusted.
I wished such a conversation hadn’t become necessary.
Still, I felt relieved that we’d talked about it.
Deputy Reed had contacted me the previous evening.
