“Then step away.”
“She is my daughter.”
“She is my niece.”
Everything stopped.
Mrs. Alvarez stared.
Daniel said nothing.
Sophie looked up.
“What?”
Caleb’s chest rose and fell beneath his uniform.
Daniel finally understood.
This was not a random stop.
Not entirely.
Caleb Mercer was the younger brother of Luke Mercer.
Sophie’s biological father.
A man Daniel had not seen in five years.
A man Sophie barely remembered.
Daniel’s voice became very quiet.
“Did Luke send you here?”
Caleb’s jaw tightened.
“That is not relevant.”
“It’s the only thing that’s relevant.”
“I received information that a child was being picked up by someone whose legal relationship to her is disputed.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“Disputed by whom?”
“Step away from Sophie.”
“No.”
Caleb’s hand moved toward his radio.
Daniel held Sophie closer.
“You need to call your supervisor.”
“I don’t need instructions from you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“You’re making this harder.”
“No.”
Daniel looked directly at him.
“You came to my daughter’s bus stop because your brother told you a story.”
Caleb’s face hardened.
“You don’t know what he told me.”
“I know Luke.”
“You haven’t spoken to him in years.”
“That is intentional.”
Caleb took another step.
Sophie began crying.
“Dad, I want to go home.”
Daniel looked down.
“I know.”
Caleb said, “Sophie.”
She buried her face against Daniel’s coat.
“Don’t talk to me.”
Caleb froze.
Something flickered across his face.
Pain.
Recognition.
Maybe shame.
Then the bus doors hissed behind him.
Someone stepped down.
“Officer Mercer.”
Caleb turned.
A woman in a police uniform stood beside the yellow bus.
She was in her early forties, with light-brown hair pulled into a tight bun and sharp blue eyes.
Sergeant Rebecca Hart.
Daniel knew her immediately.
So did Sophie.
“Aunt Becca!”
Sophie released Daniel with one hand and waved desperately.
Rebecca’s face changed when she saw the child crying.
She looked at Daniel.
Then Caleb.
Then Caleb’s hand hovering near his belt.
“What is happening?”
Caleb stared.
“Sergeant?”
Rebecca walked toward them.
She had been riding the bus that afternoon because the district was conducting a weeklong school-route safety program after several cars had illegally passed stopped buses.
She had planned to ride three stops farther.
Then Mrs. Alvarez had used the emergency intercom.
Rebecca stopped in front of Caleb.
“Tell me.”
Caleb looked toward Daniel.
“This man is attempting to leave with a child whose custody status may be fraudulent.”
Rebecca’s expression did not change.
“Which child?”
“Sophie Mercer.”
Daniel’s voice cut in.
“Sophie Cole.”
Caleb ignored him.
“My brother is her father.”
Rebecca looked at him for a long moment.
Then she turned toward Sophie.
“Sophie?”