The cashier, Mr. Oliver, a robust man with thinning hair, shook his head firmly. “Listen, kid, you can’t just leave with that. Put it back, or I’ll have to call someone.”

Kayla stood her ground. She gently rocked her baby brother, Ben, who whimpered softly. Just as Mr. Oliver began to reach for the phone, the store door chimed softly. In strode Daniel Mercer, a man recognized instantly by anyone who read the local news.