Parker shifted his weight. He looked at Monica, then at the open suitcase. For a brief moment, his expression suggested that he understood the question was reasonable. But when Grant turned his head toward him, Parker's face returned to the blank expression officers often wore when they did not want to become involved in a colleague's confrontation.
Officer Parker: "Ma'am, please remain where you are while we complete the inspection."
Monica Reed: "I've been standing here exactly where he told me to stand. I haven't touched anything."
Officer Grant: "Then you won't have a problem cooperating."
The word cooperating sounded less like a request than a warning.
Grant moved the transparent bag toward the center of the table. He placed it beside Monica's folded clothes and tapped the plastic with one finger, as if the mere presence of the substance settled every question that might follow.
Monica's eyes moved briefly toward the ceiling.
A black surveillance camera was mounted above the inspection station. Another camera faced the corridor beyond the partition. A third was positioned near the entrance, overlooking the place where passengers waited for their luggage to be examined.
She had noticed all three before Grant opened the suitcase.
Now she wanted to know whether the officers had noticed them too.
Monica Reed: "I want the inspection recorded properly."
Officer Grant: "The inspection is being handled according to procedure."
Monica Reed: "Good. Then there should be no reason to hide anything."
Grant's jaw tightened. He seemed to interpret every calm sentence as a challenge to his authority. Instead of answering, he reached into the suitcase again and moved a folded blouse to one side. He then lifted a small toiletry pouch and placed it on the tray.
Monica watched his hands.
The powder in the transparent bag remained on the table, separated from the other items. No label had been attached to it, and Grant had not shown her a photograph of its original position. He had not explained whether the substance had been tested or whether another officer had witnessed its discovery.
Those details mattered.
But Grant appeared determined to make sure that the conversation never reached them.
Officer Grant: "Have you carried anything for someone else today?"
Monica Reed: "No."
Officer Grant: "Has anyone asked you to transport a package?"
Monica Reed: "No."
Officer Grant: "Do you know what this substance is?"
Monica Reed: "I know what you're claiming it is. That doesn't mean it belongs to me."
Parker glanced toward the evidence bag. The longer the conversation continued, the more uncomfortable he seemed to become. He had expected a straightforward inspection, perhaps a passenger who would argue briefly before accepting the officers' instructions. Instead, Monica kept asking questions that were difficult to dismiss without making the officers appear unwilling to explain themselves.
Grant stepped closer to the table.
Officer Grant: "You're making this much more difficult than it needs to be."
Monica Reed: "It would be easier if you answered a simple question. Where exactly did you find that bag?"
Officer Grant: "Inside your suitcase."
Monica Reed: "Where inside it?"
Officer Grant: "You heard me."
Monica Reed: "Did you photograph it before removing it?"
Grant stared at her.
Monica Reed: "Did Officer Parker witness the discovery? Was the suitcase continuously visible while you were searching it? Has the evidence been documented?"
The questions came one after another, each delivered without shouting. Monica was not trying to win an argument through volume. She was trying to establish what had happened, in what order, and who could account for it.
Grant did not appreciate the distinction.
Officer Grant: "You watch too many crime shows."
Monica Reed: "And you seem very uncomfortable answering basic questions."
Parker looked down at the inspection table. He pressed his lips together, then glanced toward the corridor. His hesitation lasted only a second, but Monica noticed it.
Grant noticed it too.
Officer Grant: "Parker, get her to step back."
Officer Parker: "She's already behind the marked line."
Officer Grant: "Then make sure she stays there."
Parker moved closer, though he did not touch Monica. She remained beside the marked line painted on the floor, keeping her hands visible. The space between them was narrow enough that she could see a small crease in the sleeve of his uniform and the uncertainty in his eyes.
Monica Reed: "I haven't interfered with your inspection. I haven't touched the evidence. I'm asking you to follow the procedure you're supposed to be following."
Officer Grant: "You don't get to decide what procedure means."
Monica Reed: "Neither do you get to accuse someone without being able to explain your evidence."
Grant's face changed.