I nodded, swallowing hard. “You don’t have to tell me,” I whispered, my voice hoarse from earlier screams and cries.

The officer gestured to the evidence bags they were gathering. “We’re collecting everything. We’ll do a full forensic analysis. But we need you to identify something.”

He led me to a small, makeshift tent where they had laid out several personal items, all soaked and muddied, but unmistakable. Emily’s bracelet, the one her grandmother gave her. A silk scarf, torn and stained. And the 9-iron, its grip still wrapped in medical tape, clearly used with malicious intent. My heart constricted painfully at the sight.

“We’ll do everything in our power to bring them to justice,” the officer assured me. “You have my word.”

His words were a balm, but they couldn’t heal the raw wound inside me. Nothing could. But the promise of justice was a start. I nodded again, this time more firmly, finding a stone of resolve within the sea of my grief. “Thank you.”

As I turned to leave, the officer called after me. “Margaret, I know it’s hard, but your daughter will not be forgotten. She is the reason we’re standing here today, making sure those responsible are held accountable.”

I paused, letting his words sink in. Emily’s spirit seemed to hover around us, urging me onward, whispering that her suffering would not be in vain.

The drive back to the hospital was a blur. I kept replaying the officer’s words in my head. Emily deserved so much more than this senseless tragedy. She deserved justice, not only for herself but for countless others who had suffered in silence. Her story would not end here, not with her lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines.

Back at the hospital, I sat by Emily’s side once more. I whispered promises to her, my words a vow. I would see this through. I would be her voice, her advocate, her warrior. Whatever it took, however long, I would fight for her.

The storm outside raged on, but inside the hospital room, a new determination took root. Emily’s light may have dimmed, but it would never be extinguished. Her fight was now mine. And I would not rest until justice was served.