“What’s the exact process for getting a legal search warrant?” I asked.

“You come down to the station on City Hall Avenue tomorrow at eight a.m.,” Bell said.

“You file sworn criminal complaints for felony child endangerment and bank fraud.”

“He’s my husband,” I said, and the words fell flat and heavy in the warm night air.

“He left your daughter alone for three days, Major,” Officer Bell said gently.

“If you want that closet opened legally, you’re the one who has to start the process.”

A yellow porch light came on at the house across Oak Ridge Road, casting a long, sharp square of light over the damp floorboards beneath our boots.