The officers exchanged a look. This was no figment of a child’s imagination. It was possible someone had been using the space. They radioed for backup, the sense of urgency escalating. The parents, now fully awake and alert, pulled their daughter close, their initial doubt replaced by a cold, creeping dread.

As the investigation unfolded, the little girl stood by, her eyes never leaving the closet. Her intuition, that lingering sense of being watched, had been real, validating the innocence and perceptiveness that adults often dismiss. The officers continued their search, piecing together the clues that would hopefully lead to whoever had violated the sanctity of this home.