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That one got a laugh out of me.

Chief didn’t move.

The officer gathered his papers and went out with Dad. Riot followed, leaving the three of us in the room. Sunshine and Marion were still talking across the hall.

Sadie nudged her chair against mine.

I leaned against her shoulder for a moment.

Chief watched me do it. Then he looked at the phone on the table.

“Did he take it?” he asked.

I followed his gaze. “No. It was in my belt bag.”

His eyes came back to mine. “Why didn’t you call me?”

The room seemed to get much quieter.

Sadie stopped moving beside me.

“I thought I could get to the store,” I said. “I could see the employee. There were people around.”

Chief listened without interrupting.

I wished he would interrupt.

“He hadn’t touched me yet. He was just following me, saying things.” I rubbed a finger along the edge of my phone. “I had it out. I was going to call.”

His face changed.

Only a little.

“What stopped you?” he asked.

I looked at the doorway. At the empty space where Dad had been standing.

“I didn’t want you to have to come.”

Chief went very still. I had seen him angry plenty of times. This didn’t look like any of them.

“I thought I could deal with it,” I continued. “And I did, mostly. I got loose. I hit him. The woman stepped in.”

“I’m glad you hit him,” Chief said quietly. “That isn’t what I’m asking you.”

I knew. I wished I didn’t. “I didn’t want to keep doing this to you.”

Sadie turned her head.

Chief looked down at his hands.

For several seconds, none of us spoke.

Then his phone started vibrating.

He stopped it without looking.

A moment later, it started again.