The cameraman panned over to Alyssa and Cord ignoring shouted questions from reporters as they escorted Adamson, his head down, face shielded by his shirt, into the detention center before moving over to footage from the search warrant served upon his home. Just out of camera range, in the shadow of a window, Alyssa knew, stood a teenager watching police raiding her family’s home and taking her father’s belongings. Alyssa didn’t think she’d ever forget the look of horror on the girl’s face at what her father was being accused of. Beside her daughter was Adamson’s wife. A film of moisture covered her eyes, but no tears fell. Instead, she blinked repeatedly, as if she could stop her life from unraveling by doing so.

Police aren’t speaking, but as this horrifying story unfolds, we caught footage of officers removing Adamson’s vehicle along with several computers and discs from his home. What appears to be a bag of clothing was also taken.

Holly’s form was stiff beside her, and Alyssa wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulder, encouraging her to lean into her. When she did, Alyssa alternated between rubbing circles on her back and running her hand over her hair. Every once in a while, Holly would sniffle and reach up to wipe her nose with a tissue and erase the tears with her fingers.

Isaac and Mabel both split their attention between watching the news report and staring at Holly, ready to catch her if she broke.

‘You don’t have to watch this, sweetie,’ Alyssa whispered into her daughter’s ear.

Holly’s chin fell toward her chest. ‘I do,’ she answered back, voice breaking.

Also arrested in today’s round-up were Aaron Anderson, president of Wellington Power Company in Lovington. In Arizona, authorities worked with our local police department to round up United States health official Harold Devigne of Show Low, as well as Doctor Darren Coen of Tucson.

As you can see for yourself, these are some high-profile names, and Captain Guthrie Hammond of APD has promised a press conference tomorrow at seven a.m. Of course, Channel 7 will be there to bring you the latest on this shocking and disturbing crime.

Brock pointed the remote at the television and shut it off. Holly stayed nestled by Alyssa’s side while Mabel secured Isaac to hers. Alyssa rested her head into the crook of Brock’s neck, and he kissed the top of her head. Tomorrow would be another busy day, and she knew she should go to bed and grab what sleep she could, but for now, Alyssa wanted to bask in the warmth of the knowledge that her family was physically safe and together in her home.

A Letter From Charly

More than a century ago, Loren Eiseley wrote “The Star Thrower” – a story many of us are more familiar with in one of its many variations. In one of these variations, the narrator tells us of a man walking along the beach, tossing one starfish after another back into the ocean. When someone approaches him and ponders why the man is doing such a thing since there are so many starfish to save, he couldn’t possibly make a difference, the man tosses a starfish into the ocean, saying, “It made a difference to that one.”