A slimy cold sweat broke out over my body from head to toe as I stared at the picture of my mom through someone else's eyes. Detective Appelt. Through his viewpoint, she was both a stranger and heartbreakingly familiar. Why was she there instead of locked up tight in my memories where I could let her out only when I had the mental strength to say goodbye again?

A broken sob forced its way from my mouth. I couldn't deal with this right now, and what it meant, if ever. Not when Mom's ...