Chapter 5 - Inside the Yellow Boot
Lily was calm by the time Dr. Evans began.
Sarah held her hand.
I stayed near her head where she could see me.
Nobody ripped the boot off.
The rubber was carefully cut away in sections.
The first opening exposed damp fabric.
Then swelling.
Dr. Evans stopped repeatedly to protect Lily’s skin.
The smell intensified.
Sarah turned away for a moment.
Then a small dark insect crawled through the opening.
Nobody screamed.
Real horror is usually quieter than movies.
Dr. Evans trapped it beneath a specimen cup.
Another appeared.
Then another.
The boot had contained several live beetles.
But that wasn’t what had caused the smell.
Moisture, heat, sweat, and prolonged confinement had badly irritated Lily’s skin.
There were areas requiring immediate cleaning and treatment.
The medical team continued.
Finally, the rubber separated enough for Dr. Evans to see something wedged along the outer side of the boot.
A small black waterproof pouch.
Greg had told the truth about one thing.
It existed.
Officer Ruiz was notified immediately.
The pouch was treated as potential evidence.
Nobody casually opened it.
Then Dr. Evans found the reason Lily had been screaming that something was moving.
A small perforated plastic capsule had been taped beside the pouch.
The beetles had escaped from it.
Someone had intentionally placed them there.
Sarah began crying.
I felt something colder than anger.
This required preparation.
The boot.
The adhesive.
The pouch.
The capsule.
The insects.
This wasn’t a momentary loss of judgment.
Then Lily said something from the gurney.
“Those aren’t Daddy’s bugs.”
I looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“The box was blue.”
“What box?”
“The one Daddy had.”
I crouched beside her.
“What color was the container he put inside your boot?”
“Blue.”
The capsule removed from the boot was clear.
That supported Greg’s claim that something had changed.
But it created an even worse possibility.
Someone else had access to Lily after Greg sealed the boot.
Sarah whispered:
“Greg was with her all night.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
Sarah froze.
“What do you mean?”
Lily looked toward the door.
“Daddy left after you went to sleep.”
“Who stayed with you?”
May you like
Lily’s answer changed the entire investigation.
“Aunt Melissa.”
