“Everything matches,” the detective said.

He turned his gaze slowly to Megan, his eyes narrowing.

“Ms. Vance, filing a false police report is a serious misdemeanor in the state of Ohio,” Detective Miller said.

Megan’s face turned pale, and she took a step back toward my mother. “I… I must have been mistaken. I thought she said…”

“You told us you saw her steal them,” the detective said, his voice hard. “You signed a sworn statement.”

“She’s sick, Officer!” my mother pleaded, grabbing Megan’s arm. “She gets confused. She’s been dealing with a terrible neurological condition.”

My father stepped between them and the detective.

“She isn’t sick, and she isn’t confused,” my father said, his voice cracking with emotion. “She’s been running a scam on this family for ten years.”

He looked at my mother, his eyes filled with a deep, painful realization.

“And you helped her do it, Helen,” he said.

My mother stared at him, her mouth opening and closing without a sound.