SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "I'm not asking permission to preserve evidence in a matter that may involve federal misconduct. You will have an opportunity to explain your actions. I suggest you use the time before we arrive to think carefully about what happened at Oakwood Diner."
The call ended.
For a moment, Mercer remained completely still.
Then he lowered the telephone and looked at Owen.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Get in here."
Owen entered the office slowly.
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "Yes, Sheriff?"
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Did you tell anyone what happened?"
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I told the federal office what I witnessed."
Mercer's jaw tightened.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "You had no authority to do that."
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I was asked what I saw. I answered."
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "You work for this department."
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I know where I work, sir."
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Then you should understand what loyalty means."
Owen looked down briefly, then raised his eyes again.
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I understand what my badge means."
That answer seemed to strike Mercer harder than an argument would have.
He stepped closer.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Be careful, Blake. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I think I already do."
Mercer turned away and walked toward the window.
Outside, two dark vehicles had entered the station parking lot. Their headlights swept across the front windows before the engines stopped.
The first vehicle was a black government SUV.
The second was an unmarked sedan.
Three people stepped out. A woman in a dark navy jacket led them toward the entrance. She carried a slim document case and wore an identification credential clipped to her belt.
Mercer recognized the woman from her photograph.
Rebecca Shaw had arrived.
He straightened his uniform, adjusted his belt, and tried to recover the authority he had displayed in the diner.
But when the front door opened, he realized the building no longer felt like his territory.
Rebecca Shaw entered with two federal investigators.
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "Sheriff Mercer?"
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "That's me."
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "Special Agent Rebecca Shaw. These are Special Agent Daniel Foster and Investigator Laura Bennett. We need to speak with Judge Hayes, and we need to secure the records connected to her detention."
Mercer gestured toward the holding area.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "She's over there."
Rebecca did not move immediately.
She studied his face.
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "Is she injured?"
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "She was fine when she arrived."
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "That wasn't my question."
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "There was a minor confrontation."
Rebecca's expression hardened.
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "We'll speak with her directly."
The investigators followed her down the corridor.
Elena saw them approaching. She rose from the bench, straightened her blazer as best she could, and looked directly at Rebecca.
Rebecca stopped just outside the holding area.
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "Judge Hayes, I'm Rebecca Shaw. We spoke by telephone earlier."
ELENA HAYES: "I remember."
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "Are you comfortable speaking with us here, or would you prefer another room?"
ELENA HAYES: "Another room would be better. I would also like my personal belongings returned and a medical examination documented."
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "We'll arrange both."
Elena glanced toward Mercer.
ELENA HAYES: "I would also like the department's records preserved before anyone has an opportunity to revise them."
Rebecca nodded.
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "That is already part of our request."
One of the investigators opened the holding area.
Elena walked out without rushing. She did not look at Mercer again.
The sheriff watched her pass.
For the first time that afternoon, he seemed unsure what to say.
The investigators escorted Elena into a private interview room. Rebecca asked for water, arranged for a medical professional to document her injuries, and confirmed that Elena could speak freely without anyone from the sheriff's department present.
When the door closed, the room became quiet.
Rebecca placed a recorder on the table but did not turn it on immediately.
SPECIAL AGENT REBECCA SHAW: "Before we begin, I want you to understand that you are not being treated as a suspect. We need your account of what happened, starting from the moment Sheriff Mercer approached your table."
ELENA HAYES: "I was eating lunch. I had been in Bellhaven for several days reviewing records connected to a federal inquiry. I had no intention of announcing my position or using it to influence anyone."