His confidence was beginning to disappear.
"Listen, I don't know what kind of game you're playing..."
Victoria interrupted him.
"I'm not playing anything."
She took one small step forward.
"You stopped me without explaining the reason. You searched my jacket without establishing a legitimate basis for doing so. And now you're holding federal identification that you have no authority to confiscate."
Collins tried to recover his confidence.
"You're not going to intimidate me."
Victoria gave him a faint smile.
"Officer Collins, I'm not trying to intimidate you."
His expression changed.
"How do you know my name?"
Victoria looked toward the nameplate on his uniform.
"Your name is printed directly in front of me."
He glanced down.
For the first time, he looked embarrassed.
Victoria continued.
"But if you'd like, we can discuss your professional history instead."
Collins immediately became defensive.
"What professional history?"
"The complaints."
His jaw tightened.
"What complaints?"
Victoria held his gaze.
"The three civilian complaints filed against you during the past fourteen months."
Collins went silent.
She continued.
"The two internal reports that were closed without disciplinary action."
His expression hardened.
"And the missing body-camera footage from your traffic stop last November."
Collins took a step backward.
"Where did you get that information?"
Victoria didn't answer.
Instead, she extended her hand again.
"My badge."
Collins looked down at the identification.
Then he looked at her.
"You're making a serious accusation."
Victoria's voice remained quiet.
"No, Officer."
She paused.
"I'm giving you a chance to stop making this worse."
For several seconds, Collins didn't move.
Then his radio crackled.
"Unit 214, status check."
Collins immediately reached for the radio.
"Dispatch, Unit 214. Everything is under control."
Victoria watched him carefully.
He had just lied.
And she knew it.
Because she had never been interested in the traffic stop.
She had been waiting for him.
For three weeks, an investigation team had been monitoring a group of officers suspected of stealing money and personal property during roadside searches.
The department believed the operation was being conducted by two officers.
Victoria suspected there were at least six.
And Collins was the first one who had made a mistake directly in front of her.
A very expensive mistake.
"Officer," she said.
He turned.
"What now?"
"Do you remember what you told dispatch when you initiated this stop?"
Collins frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You reported a vehicle with an obstructed license plate."
"Correct."
"Was that true?"
"Yes."
Victoria glanced toward the rear of her sedan.
"Then why did you tell your supervisor I was suspected of transporting stolen property?"
Collins froze.
The question struck harder than anything she had said before.
He stared at her.
"Who told you that?"
Victoria didn't answer.
She simply watched his face.
And in that moment, she saw it.
Recognition.
Not of her.
Of the investigation.
Collins slowly lowered the badge.
"You're one of them."
Victoria raised an eyebrow.
"One of whom?"
He didn't respond.
She nodded slightly.
"That's what I thought."
Then she reached toward her jacket.
Collins immediately became tense.
"Don't move!"
Victoria stopped.
"Easy."
He stepped backward.
"Hands where I can see them!"
Victoria slowly raised both hands.
"Officer, you're becoming very nervous."
"Shut up."
She looked at him.
"Why?"
He stared at her.
Because he had finally realized something.
The woman standing beside his patrol car wasn't trying to convince him she was important.
She was waiting for him to reveal exactly how much he knew.
And he had just revealed far too much.
CHAPTER 2 — THE OFFICER WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Collins walked toward his patrol vehicle.
He kept Victoria within sight, but his movements had become noticeably less confident.
He opened the driver's door and leaned inside.
Victoria remained beside the sedan.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Calling my supervisor."
"Good idea."
He glared at her.
"Don't get comfortable."
Victoria almost smiled.
"Believe me, I'm not."
Collins picked up the radio microphone.
"Dispatch, connect me to Sergeant Walker."
Static.
Then a voice responded.
"Stand by."
Victoria watched him.
"Sergeant Walker?"
Collins looked at her.
"What's it to you?"
"Nothing."
He waited.
A few seconds later, the radio crackled.
"Collins, this is Walker. What's happening?"
Collins immediately changed his tone.
"Sergeant, I've got a situation."