“Wait!” I spoke without thinking, acting on instinct alone. “We’re not done here, not yet.”
I crouched down in front of Ethan and looked him in the eye. “You promise you didn’t take that phone?”
He nodded. “I would never steal from someone, Mom.”
“I believe you.” I turned to Dawson and Officer Ruiz. “I want to check the footage from the school cameras. Hallway, classroom… everywhere. You’ll have no problem with that, right?”
Mr. Dawson blinked. “The phone was in Ethan’s backpack—”
“If my son says he didn’t steal it, I believe him. Guilt needs to be proven, and I believe this is what’s called ‘circumstantial evidence,’ right?” I looked at Officer Ruiz.
Officer Ruiz nodded. “Mr. Dawson, I think she raises a fair point. We should review the camera footage to make sure we aren’t missing anything.”
Mr. Dawson exhaled through his nose. “Fine. We’ll review the tape.”
Ethan whispered, “Thank you.”
I squeezed his shoulder. “We’re not done yet.”
