Chapter 9 - POLICE OPEN THE SHED The shed belonged to Harlan.
I could not simply break into it because I was angry and believed Cecily’s toys were inside.
Police spoke with him.
His attorney eventually consented to a limited search focused on Cecily’s property, partly because Harlan insisted:
“There’s nothing criminal in there.”
He was right in one sense.
No secret dungeon.
No child locked inside.
No weapons cache.
No horrifying photographs.
The shed contained:
Garden tools.
Paint cans.
Pool equipment.
Two bicycles.
Holiday decorations.
And one shelving unit filled with transparent plastic bins.
The labels were handwritten.
CECILY — CRYING
CECILY — DISRESPECT
CECILY — BABY STUFF
My knees almost gave out when Detective Marisol Grant showed me photographs.
Inside:
The missing fox.
Veterinary set.
Puzzle.
Toy camera.
Stuffed rabbit.
Two dolls.
More things I had not realized were gone.
Some intact.
Some damaged.
One doll had its hair cut off.
The toy camera had been cracked.
Pip the rabbit had one ear removed with scissors.
Not evidence of some elaborate torture ritual.
Evidence of an adult deliberately destroying a child’s possessions as punishment.
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Then they found a clipboard.
That became worse.
