Patricia eventually agreed to meet me. She arrived looking nervous and immediately began apologizing. She explained that Derek had told her he was struggling financially and needed a short break. He claimed Lily would stay with a neighbor while the family traveled. Patricia admitted she had never checked whether that arrangement actually existed. She had also received several of my messages through Derek, but he told her I didn’t want to speak with anyone. She had believed him because she trusted her son. I listened quietly, realizing that her trust had helped him maintain the deception.

Then Patricia handed me an envelope. Inside were copies of messages Derek had sent her before the cruise. One message read, “Hannah won’t find out until I have everything sorted.” Another mentioned selling something valuable that belonged to our family. Patricia explained that she had begun questioning him after noticing inconsistencies in his explanations. She had saved the messages because she feared something was wrong. I thanked her for bringing them, but told her that apologies couldn’t erase what Lily had experienced. My priority was protecting my daughter and ensuring the truth was properly investigated.