I answered before he could twist it. “Your safety.”

There are families who hear the word protection and think it means suspicion. They’re usually the same families that make protection necessary.

Salgado opened the second folder. This one was blue. On its tab, in black, were the words INCIDENT LOG — VALERIA.

Doña Rebeca sat down. Not slowly. Hard. The chair gave a small wooden complaint beneath her.

Andrés looked at his mother. “What is that?”

Salgado didn’t answer him first. He looked at Valeria. “Señora Valeria, your mother asked us to document property security concerns after you reported missing personal items.”