The emergency lights switched on.
Red and blue flashes illuminated the wet sidewalk.
Daniel looked up.
At first, he assumed the officer was responding to something happening farther down the street.
Then the driver's door opened.
"Hey! You!"
Daniel looked around.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Yes. Come over here."
Daniel slowly stepped away from the wall.
"Good evening, Officer. Is there a problem?"
Rebecca approached him with a stern expression.
"What's your name?"
"Daniel Carter."
"What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for the rain to slow down."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to walk home in the middle of a storm."
Rebecca looked him up and down.
"Where are you coming from?"
"The pharmacy."
"What pharmacy?"
"Westbridge Pharmacy, across the street."
"What did you buy?"
"Medicine."
"What kind?"
"Pain medication and cough drops."
Rebecca studied his face.
"Do you have identification?"
"Yes."
Daniel reached slowly toward his jacket.
Rebecca immediately raised her voice.
"Keep your hands where I can see them."
Daniel stopped.
"Of course. Sorry."
"Don't reach into your pockets without permission."
"I understand."
Rebecca pointed toward his jacket.
"Do you have anything dangerous in there?"
"No."
"Any weapons?"
"No, ma'am."
"Then why are you nervous?"
Daniel looked at her.
"Because I don't understand why I'm being stopped."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the truth."
Rebecca stepped closer.
"Watch your tone."
Daniel took a breath.
He had worked long enough with different personalities to recognize when a conversation was becoming unnecessarily hostile.
He decided to remain polite.
"Officer, I haven't done anything wrong. I'm just trying to get home."
"Nobody said you did anything wrong."
"Then may I ask why you're questioning me?"
"Because you're acting suspicious."
Daniel glanced at the empty street.
"Suspicious?"
"Yes."
"What exactly am I doing that's suspicious?"
Rebecca did not answer directly.
Instead, she pointed toward his jacket.
"Show me what you bought."
Daniel carefully reached into his pocket after receiving permission.
He removed the small pharmacy bag and held it out.
Rebecca took it.
She examined the contents.
Two bottles of ordinary over-the-counter medication.
A receipt.
Nothing unusual.
She looked at the receipt.
"Why do you need all this?"
"Because I have a headache and a cough."
"Are you sick?"
"A little."
"Have you been drinking?"
"No."
"Using drugs?"
"No."
"Do you have a criminal record?"
"No."
Rebecca looked at him.
"Never been arrested?"
"Never."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
Daniel remained calm, although his patience was beginning to wear thin.
He had been standing outside for less than five minutes when the officer approached him.
Now she was asking questions as if he had committed some serious offense.
He glanced at his phone.
His daughter would be waiting for his call.
"Officer, is there anything else you need? I really should be getting home."
Rebecca's expression changed.
"Are you in a hurry?"
"Yes. My daughter is waiting for me."
"That doesn't mean you can leave."
Daniel looked confused.
"Am I being detained?"
Rebecca folded her arms.
"That depends on how you cooperate."
Daniel had heard enough stories about difficult police encounters to understand that arguing would probably make things worse.
He nodded.
"I'm cooperating. I've answered your questions and shown you what I purchased."
"Then why are you questioning my authority?"
"I'm not questioning your authority. I'm asking what I've done."
Rebecca took a step closer.
"Put your hands behind your back."
Daniel stared at her.
"Excuse me?"
"Hands behind your back."
"Why?"
"Because I'm placing you in custody."
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
"For what?"
"Failure to comply."
Daniel shook his head.
"I haven't refused to do anything."
"Don't argue."
"I'm not arguing. I'm asking what crime you're accusing me of committing."
Rebecca reached for his wrist.
Daniel instinctively stepped backward.
"Please don't grab me. I'm not resisting."
Rebecca grabbed his jacket.
"Stop moving!"
"I'm just trying to understand!"
"Hands behind your back!"
The situation changed in seconds.
Rebecca pulled his arm toward his back.
Daniel attempted to regain his balance on the slippery pavement.
His shoulder struck the side of the police cruiser.
The pharmacy bag slipped from his hand and landed near the curb.
A bottle rolled across the wet sidewalk.
"Stop resisting!" Rebecca shouted.
Daniel looked genuinely frightened.
"I'm not resisting! You're hurting me!"
A passing vehicle slowed at the intersection.
Inside was a twenty-seven-year-old woman named Olivia Bennett.
Olivia had been driving home after finishing her shift at a nearby restaurant.