The gas valve had been turned far beyond its normal position. And inside the bedroom, the ventilation duct was blocked with a towel stuffed tightly into place from the inside.
“This was done on purpose,” Daniel said quietly.
As dawn crept over the lake, Lily was taken to a temporary care facility. She did not cry. She answered questions politely. She clutched her rabbit and watched everything with unsettling calm.
Later that morning, investigators returned to the house with forensic specialists. The boiler system showed signs of deliberate tampering. Bolts loosened in a way that required tools. Safety mechanisms disabled intentionally.
One technician shook his head.
“This does not fail naturally,” he said. “Someone wanted gas to build up.”
At the hospital, Lily’s parents were placed in intensive care. Doctors confirmed severe carbon monoxide poisoning, indicating prolonged exposure.
When Daniel interviewed Lily later that afternoon in a quiet child friendly room, she spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully.
“Daddy was very upset yesterday,” she said. “He was talking on the phone and yelling. He said he did not have the money anymore.”