I took Kobe’s hand and led him toward our car. Mom called after me. I never turned around.

Chapter 2 — The Manager

Once Kobe was buckled into the back seat beside his unopened presents, I went back into the trampoline park.

The entrance was still locked while employees reset the system. After a few minutes I met the general manager, Nestor Alvarez.

“Ms. Embry, I’m sorry about what happened,” he said. “We’ve confirmed the alarm was manually activated. There was no fire or equipment failure.”

“I know who pulled it.” His expression sharpened. “My ten-year-old niece.”

He opened a notebook. “Was it accidental?”