Mercer looked toward Owen.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Did you hear that?"
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "Yes, sir."
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Then record that she was cooperative."
Owen frowned.
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I will record what happened."
The sheriff stared at him.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "You are becoming a problem."
Elena heard the comment.
ELENA HAYES: "Deputy Blake is doing exactly what he should be doing."
Mercer turned toward her.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "This conversation is over."
He pointed toward the entrance.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "We're going to the station."
ELENA HAYES: "On what grounds?"
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "We need to complete the investigation."
ELENA HAYES: "You still haven't identified an offense."
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "We'll discuss that when we get there."
Elena looked at the deputy.
ELENA HAYES: "Deputy, I want the reason for this transport recorded."
Owen hesitated.
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I'll make sure it's documented."
Mercer took her handbag from the table.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Let's go."
Elena stood slowly.
She adjusted her blazer, though the food stains remained clearly visible. She picked up the napkin and placed it on the table.
The customers watched as she walked toward the entrance.
Sarah stepped forward.
SARAH MITCHELL: "Judge Hayes?"
Elena turned.
SARAH MITCHELL: "I'm sorry this happened."
ELENA HAYES: "Thank you, Sarah. Please preserve the camera footage."
Sarah nodded.
SARAH MITCHELL: "I will."
Mercer looked at her.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "You don't need to get involved."
Sarah said nothing.
Elena walked outside between the two officers.
The sheriff's patrol SUV was parked near the entrance.
Owen opened the rear passenger door.
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "Please watch your step."
Elena entered the vehicle.
Mercer handed her handbag to Owen.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Keep it with you."
Owen placed the bag in the front passenger area.
Before closing the rear door, he looked at Elena.
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "We'll get this sorted out."
ELENA HAYES: "I hope so."
The door closed.
Owen walked around to the driver's side.
Mercer stood beside the vehicle for a moment, looking toward the diner.
Sarah was still visible through the window.
He knew she had witnessed everything.
He also knew that the diner had a security system.
He turned toward Owen.
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "How long does that camera system keep its recordings?"
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "I don't know."
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Find out."
Owen looked at him.
DEPUTY OWEN BLAKE: "Why?"
SHERIFF GRANT MERCER: "Because I asked you to."
Owen got into the driver's seat.
The SUV pulled away from the diner.
Elena sat quietly in the back.
Her phone was still missing.
She looked out of the window as the road passed by.
She was thinking about Daniel.
He would have noticed her absence by now.
She knew he would try to reach her.
She also knew that the sheriff might underestimate how quickly the courthouse could respond once her location was confirmed.
But something else troubled her.
The sheriff had seemed unusually interested in why she was in Bellhaven.
His questions had not sounded like ordinary questions from an officer checking a possible disturbance.
He had asked whether she was meeting someone.
He had asked what she was looking for.
And when he discovered her identity, his behavior changed in a way that suggested more than embarrassment.
It suggested fear.
At the federal courthouse, Daniel had already contacted the security office.
He was now speaking with a senior official.
DANIEL PRICE: "I spoke with the waitress. She confirmed the sheriff struck Judge Hayes and took her property."
COURTHOUSE OFFICIAL: "Do we know her current location?"
DANIEL PRICE: "The sheriff was preparing to transport her to the county station."
COURTHOUSE OFFICIAL: "Has that been confirmed?"
DANIEL PRICE: "Not yet."
COURTHOUSE OFFICIAL: "We are contacting the appropriate federal personnel. Keep the witness information available."
Daniel nodded.
He returned to his office and opened the file Elena had been reviewing.
The first document was a complaint from a resident who claimed that officers had conducted a search without providing a clear explanation.
The second concerned property that had been taken during a traffic stop.
The third described a local business owner who said he had been pressured to withdraw a complaint after questioning a county development project.
Daniel scrolled through the records.
Several reports referred to the same sheriff's department.