“Officer,” Dominic said.

His voice had the quiet authority of a man who had never been told no in his life.

“I am Dominic Valenti.”

The officer blinked, his hand dropping from his belt.

“Mr. Valenti,” the officer said.

“We were told—”

“You were told a lie,” Dominic said.

He stepped over the yellow tape.

He didn’t look back to see if the officer would stop him.

He simply walked toward the door of Rossi Books.

I followed him close behind.

The air inside the bookstore was warm and smelled of old paper and peppermint.

But the silence was heavy.

In the children’s section, behind the low oak shelves, I heard a small whimper.

“Lucia,” I called out.

The man in the overcoat turned around.

He had a pair of silver handcuffs hanging from his belt, and a blue folder in his hand.

Beside him stood the woman with the clipboard.

“Mrs. Valenti,” the woman said.

“We have a warrant for the removal of—”

“You have nothing,” Dominic said, stepping between them and the shelves.

His shadow fell over the social worker.