Marcus tapped the badge on his chest, letting it catch the light. “Really. See this? That means I’m a police officer.”
She nodded, eyes widening. She took a breath that hitched halfway through, then hugged her rabbit tighter.
“I did…” she started, then stopped. Her eyes darted to her parents, as if asking permission to be brave.
The father leaned down. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Tell him.”
The mother’s fingers were laced so tightly Marcus could see her knuckles whitening.
The girl looked back at Marcus and whispered, “I did something bad.”
Marcus kept his face neutral. He’d handled armed suspects, violent calls, things that made your stomach twist for years afterward. But this—this tiny voice saying bad like it was the end of the world—made him feel oddly careful, like he was holding a fragile glass ornament.
“All right,” he said. “Tell me what happened.”
Her lip trembled again. “Will you… put me in jail?”
That was the moment the lobby seemed to hush. Even Tessa behind the desk tilted her head slightly, listening.
Marcus didn’t laugh. He didn’t want to scare her with the wrong reaction.
“That depends,” he said gently. “But you’re very small. And I’m here to help. Okay?”
The girl squeezed her rabbit so tight its ear bent. Her breathing sped up. Tears gathered in her eyes like a storm building too fast.
Then she broke.
