Dad explained that he had positioned the teddy bear where its camera could see the hallway, the bedroom door, and the basement stairs. Then he turned his phone toward us. The recording was timestamped 6:42 p.m., while everyone else had been in the kitchen preparing Christmas dinner.
Troy appeared at the top of the basement stairs. He glanced toward the kitchen before walking directly into Dad and Darlene’s bedroom. Twenty seconds later, he emerged with folded cash disappearing into the front pocket of his hoodie.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
A few moments later, Darlene walked down the hallway. She stopped when she saw Troy and noticed the money. Instead of confronting him, she raised one finger to her lips. She whispered nothing, simply signaling him to stay quiet. Then she patted his arm and returned to the kitchen.
Twelve minutes later, she came out holding her empty purse and accused Paige. I felt my entire body go cold. Darlene hadn’t merely suspected my daughter. She had watched her own son steal the money and deliberately blamed an innocent sixteen-year-old.
THE STORY CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE… 👇👇👇
