I froze. “You saw it yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t take him to the hospital?”
“We thought it was nothing,” she said quickly. “Just a mark forming…”
But something in her voice felt off.
Then she added quietly, “It wasn’t this dark before.”
The room suddenly felt colder.
“If it got worse today…” I said slowly, a terrible thought forming, “who was alone with him before I arrived?”
Silence.
Then Emily whispered, “The babysitter.”
My heart skipped.
“You hired someone?”
Michael came back on the line. “Just part-time. A few hours in the morning so Emily can rest.”
“When did this start?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“And today?” I asked. “Was she with him?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
My stomach twisted. “For how long?”
“About an hour.”
“Did you notice anything strange?”
“No. She seemed fine. Professional. Great references.”
“What’s her name?”
“Jessica.”
At that moment, the door opened and Dr. Harris stepped in.
“He’s stable now,” he said gently. “But we found something else.”
My chest tightened. “What?”
He handed me a printout.
“Look here.”
I stared at the scan.
At first, I didn’t see it.
Then it clicked.
Small oval marks around the bruise.
Not just one.
Several.
“They look like…” I whispered.