Underneath, I was wearing a tailored black suit. And pinned to the lapel was a gold badge that caught the dim light of the room. It wasn’t a police badge. It was the seal of the Department of Justice.

And hanging from my belt was my ID card.

THE HONORABLE SARAH VANCE.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE.

My mother gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “What is that… a toy? A costume?”

“I assure you, Mother,” I said coldly. “The authority vested in me by the President of the United States is not a toy.”

I pulled out my phone. I didn’t unlock it. I pressed a single button on the side—a panic button linked directly to the US Marshals Service.