Mercer stared at him.
“What footage?”
“Your body camera. The patrol vehicle recording. Whatever was running during the stop.”
Mercer looked away.
For a moment, Ellis saw something he could not quite identify.
Not fear, exactly.
More like the instant recognition that a door he had assumed was locked might actually be open.
“I'm getting it,” Mercer said.
He left the office before Ellis could ask another question.
The captain remained seated, looking at the paperwork Mercer had dropped on his desk.
There was no incident number on the top page.
The evidence field was incomplete.
The time of seizure was missing.
And the arrest report described the substance as suspected narcotics even though no preliminary test had been performed.
Ellis picked up the phone and called the evidence room.
“Have you received anything from Unit Twelve?”
“Not yet.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.”
Ellis hung up.
Then he looked toward the hallway.
Something was wrong.
He could feel it.
But feeling that something was wrong was not the same as knowing what had happened.
He needed the original recordings.
And he needed them before Mercer had another opportunity to explain them away.
In the booking room, Elena was finally allowed to make her phone call.
She dialed a number she had memorized years earlier.
The call connected after three rings.
“Brooks?”
“This is Elena.”
The voice on the other end changed immediately.
“Are you safe?”
“Physically, yes.”
“Where are you?”
“Redhaven County Sheriff's Office.”
A pause.
“What happened?”
“I was stopped by an officer named Daniel Mercer. He searched my vehicle, placed a bag of white powder inside the center console, then claimed he had found it there. I'm currently in custody.”
The person on the other end said nothing for several seconds.
Then, in a controlled voice, asked, “Do you have documentation?”
“Yes. Multiple recordings. The original files are being preserved remotely. The vehicle camera captured the sequence. My phone was seized and placed in a property tray.”
“Did they search the phone?”
“Not that I'm aware of.”
“Did you identify yourself?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I wanted the arrest documented as it happened, without giving him a reason to change his behavior.”
Another pause.
“You understand the seriousness of this?”
“Completely.”
“Have you requested counsel?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Do not discuss the details with anyone else. Do not consent to a search of your devices. Do not resist any lawful instruction. We will handle the rest.”
Elena closed her eyes briefly.
“Understood.”
“I'm contacting the appropriate authorities now. Someone will call you back.”
“Please make sure the recordings are preserved.”
“They will be.”
The call ended.
Elena returned the receiver to its cradle.
Mercer was standing near the doorway.
“How was your lawyer?”
Elena looked at him.
“I didn't say I called a lawyer.”
“You've been asking for one all afternoon.”
“Then you know why I would.”
He walked closer.
“Who did you call?”
“My attorney.”
“Name?”
“I'll provide that information when necessary.”
Mercer leaned down until his face was level with hers.
“You need to understand something. I decide what happens in this building.”
Elena held his gaze.
“No, you don't.”
His nostrils flared.
“You think someone is coming to save you?”
“No.”
“You think you can make one phone call and change the rules?”
“No.”
“Then what exactly do you think is going to happen?”
Elena paused.
“I think you're going to find out that the rules apply to you, too.”
Mercer straightened.
For a second, he looked as though he might say something else.
Instead, he turned toward the desk and picked up her phone.
“Let's see what's so important about this thing.”
Melissa stood up immediately.
“Officer Mercer, the property hasn't been formally logged.”
“I know.”
“Then you shouldn't be handling it.”
“Are you telling me what I can touch?”
“I'm telling you that I haven't completed the intake.”
Mercer ignored her.
He pressed the phone's side button.
The screen lit up, displaying a simple lock screen with the time and a notification that a recording had been saved.
He tapped it.
The phone asked for a passcode.
Mercer tried one.
It failed.
He tried another.
It failed again.
“What's the code?” he demanded.
Elena remained silent.
“Give me the code.”
“No.”
“Refusing a lawful order?”
“I'm declining to provide access to my private device.”
Mercer gave a sharp laugh.
“You really don't know when to stop.”
He placed the phone face down on the counter.
Then he picked up the property tray and tossed the phone back into it.
The metal rang loudly.
The screen flashed once before going dark.
Melissa flinched.
Elena did not.
Mercer leaned toward her.
“You know what I think? I think you're bluffing. I think you have no camera, no lawyer, no evidence, and no idea how this works.”
Elena looked at the tray.
Then she looked at him.
“You're wrong about all four.”
Mercer shook his head.
“Put her in holding.”
Vance, who had been standing near the hallway, stepped forward.
“Captain Ellis wants to see her first.”