“Officer, this device contains photographic evidence of the injuries, digital logs of the door being barricaded, and an audio confession from the mother stating she falsified his location.”
He pointed at the heavy wooden dining chair sitting in the corner of the room.
“And I believe if you dust that chair for prints, you will find Ted’s fingerprints on the backrest, where he wedged it under the door handle upstairs.”
The officer looked at Ted. “Sir, turn around. Hands behind your back.”
“This is crazy!” Ted shouted as the officer spun him around and slammed him against the wall. “It’s my house! Well, my friend’s house! I was disciplining the kid! He was out of control!”
“You are under arrest for Unlawful Imprisonment, Aggravated Child Endangerment, and Assault,” the officer recited, clicking the cuffs tight.
They turned to Sarah.
Sarah was backing away, shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t touch him! I didn’t lock the door! It was Ted! I just sat here!”
“Ma’am,” the second officer said, grabbing her arm. “You are under arrest for Child Neglect and Accessory to a Felony. You lied to the father about the child’s whereabouts while he was injured. That makes you complicit.”
“David!” Sarah shrieked as the cuffs bit into her wrists. “I’m his mother! You can’t do this! I didn’t know he jumped! I just wanted him to be quiet! Please!”
