“He reported suspicious activity.”
“Did he report seeing the vehicle taken from someone else?”
“I haven't spoken to him directly yet.”
“Did Officer Mulligan observe any evidence that the vehicle had been stolen?”
Price didn't answer immediately.
Danielle waited.
She had spent years asking questions in interviews and administrative proceedings. She knew when silence was useful.
Finally, Price said, “I need to speak with the officer.”
“Of course.”
She sat down again.
Across the room, Mulligan stood near the entrance to the hallway, speaking quietly to another officer. His posture was defensive, and his gestures were sharp.
Danielle couldn't hear the conversation.
She didn't need to.
She recognized the behavior.
He was trying to frame the encounter as an ordinary investigation that had simply taken an unexpected turn.
That would be convenient for him.
It would also leave out the most important details.
The registration had been available from the beginning.
She had offered to show her identification.
He had refused.
He had made a racially charged remark.
He had laughed when she identified herself as a state attorney.
He had ignored her request to loosen the handcuffs.
And he had arrested her despite having no confirmed evidence that the SUV belonged to someone else.
Those were not incidental details.
They were the encounter.
A uniformed officer approached carrying Danielle's purse and briefcase.
“Ms. Lawson?”
“Yes.”
“Your belongings.”
“Thank you.”
She opened the purse and retrieved her driver's license.
Then she took out her work identification.
The card carried her photograph, her name, and the seal of the State Attorney General's Office.
Below it was her title:
Assistant Attorney General — Civil Rights and Public Integrity Division.
She handed it to Sergeant Price.
He read the card carefully.
Then he looked at her again.
“Assistant Attorney General?”
“Yes.”
“Under Margaret Ellis?”
“Yes.”
Price's expression changed.
He knew the name.
Margaret Ellis had worked with the department on several matters involving police practices and civil rights complaints. She was respected, demanding, and known for asking detailed questions when officers' reports did not match the evidence.
Price looked at Mulligan.
“Did you know who she was?”
Mulligan shrugged.
“She said she was a lawyer.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
“She didn't have identification.”
“She told you where it was.”
“She was acting suspicious.”
Price's voice became quieter.
“Officer, I want you to think carefully before you answer the next question. Did you see her registration in the glove compartment?”
Mulligan hesitated.
“Yes.”
“And did it identify her as the registered owner?”
“I didn't read the whole document.”
“You saw her name?”
“I saw a name.”
“Was it hers?”
“I don't remember.”
Price shook his head.
“That is not a satisfactory answer.”
Danielle watched the exchange without interrupting.
She didn't want her title to become the reason the department treated her differently.
If Mulligan had arrested a woman without checking her documents, the department needed to address that conduct regardless of whether the woman worked for the state.
Her job made the consequences more immediate.
It did not make the underlying behavior acceptable.
Price returned the identification card.
“Ms. Lawson, I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Danielle accepted the card.
“Thank you. But I need to be clear about something.”
“Go ahead.”
“This is not simply an inconvenience. I was accused of stealing my own vehicle, handcuffed after offering to provide proof of ownership, and brought here despite the absence of evidence that the vehicle was stolen. I was also told that ‘people like me’ do not get jobs like mine.”
Price's face tightened.
“Did Officer Mulligan say that?”
“Yes.”
Mulligan stepped forward.
“I never said anything racist.”
Danielle turned toward him.
“I didn't use that word. I quoted what you said.”
“You're twisting my words.”
“What did you mean by ‘people like me’?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
Danielle continued.
“You asked me whether I owned the vehicle. I answered. You asked for identification. I told you exactly where it was. You opened the glove compartment and saw the registration. You then arrested me. When I told you I was a state attorney, you laughed and said people like me don't get jobs like that.”
Mulligan's face reddened.
“That's not how it happened.”
“Then please explain how it happened.”
He looked toward Price.
“Sergeant, this is getting out of hand.”
Price did not rescue him.
“Then explain the discrepancy.”
Mulligan said nothing.
The silence was interrupted by the ringing of the reception phone.
The clerk answered, listened, and covered the receiver.
“Sergeant Price? The caller is on the line. He wants to know whether the woman has been arrested.”
Price looked toward Danielle.
Then toward Mulligan.
“Put him through.”
The clerk transferred the call.
Price picked up.
“This is Sergeant Price. You made a report concerning a black SUV in the shopping center parking lot?”
A male voice answered.
“Yes. I told the officer someone was acting suspicious around it.”
“What exactly did you observe?”
“I saw a woman getting into a vehicle.”
“Did you see her break into the vehicle?”
“No.”
“Did you see her take the vehicle from someone else?”
“No, but she looked suspicious.”
“What do you mean by suspicious?”
There was a pause.
“She was looking around.”
“Looking around?”
“Yes.”
“Did she damage the vehicle?”
“No.”
“Did she force the door open?”
“I don't know.”
“Did she use a key?”
“I saw something in her hand.”
“Could it have been a key?”
“I suppose.”
Price leaned back in his chair.
“Did you know the woman?”
“No.”
“Did you know who owned the vehicle?”
“No.”
“Did you have any information suggesting the vehicle was stolen?”
“I thought it was suspicious.”
“That wasn't my question.”
The caller became irritated.
“Look, I called because I thought something was wrong. Isn't that what people are supposed to do?”