It was obvious that something had changed.
The office phone rang.
Deputy Hill answered it.
DEPUTY HILL: "Randolph County Sheriff's Office."
He listened.
His expression became serious.
DEPUTY HILL: "One moment, please."
He covered the receiver and looked toward Voss's office.
DEPUTY HILL: "Sheriff, there's a call for you. They're asking about Judge Whitlock."
Voss opened his office door.
SHERIFF VOSS: "Who is it?"
DEPUTY HILL: "They said they're calling from the federal courthouse."
Voss stopped moving.
For a second, he looked at Amara.
Then he looked at the phone.
SHERIFF VOSS: "Tell them I'll call back."
DEPUTY HILL: "They said it's urgent."
SHERIFF VOSS: "I said I'll call back."
Deputy Hill slowly returned the receiver to his ear.
DEPUTY HILL: "I'm sorry. The sheriff is unavailable at the moment."
He listened again.
His eyes widened slightly.
DEPUTY HILL: "Yes, sir. I understand."
He hung up.
Voss stared at him.
SHERIFF VOSS: "What did they say?"
DEPUTY HILL: "They asked us to confirm whether Judge Amara Whitlock was being held here."
Voss said nothing.
DEPUTY HILL: "They also asked that her phone and personal property be preserved."
Amara looked up.
The message was clear.
Daniel had reached the courthouse.
And the courthouse had begun asking questions.
Voss returned to his office and shut the door.
Inside, he placed the wallet on his desk and stared at the identification card.
He reached for his phone and dialed a number from memory.
The call connected after several rings.
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Dalton? What's going on?"
SHERIFF VOSS: "I have a situation."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "What kind of situation?"
Voss looked through the office window toward the booking area.
SHERIFF VOSS: "A woman came into the Kettle & Comb. I brought her in for questioning."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "And?"
SHERIFF VOSS: "She's a federal judge."
There was silence.
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "What did you just say?"
SHERIFF VOSS: "Her name is Amara Whitlock."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Why is a federal judge in Randolph County?"
SHERIFF VOSS: "That's what I'm trying to find out."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Did you arrest her?"
Voss rubbed his forehead.
SHERIFF VOSS: "She's being detained."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Dalton, listen carefully. You need to be very careful."
SHERIFF VOSS: "I know that."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "No. I don't think you do."
Voss glanced toward the office door.
SHERIFF VOSS: "She was asking questions. She was acting like she had authority over everyone."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Did she say why she was there?"
SHERIFF VOSS: "No."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Did she mention the investigation?"
Voss paused.
SHERIFF VOSS: "What investigation?"
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Don't play games with me."
Voss lowered his voice.
SHERIFF VOSS: "I haven't told her anything."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Then don't. And don't make another move until we know why she's there."
SHERIFF VOSS: "She already knows my name."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Everyone knows your name."
SHERIFF VOSS: "This is different."
THOMAS MCALLISTER: "Then make sure it doesn't become worse."
The call ended.
Voss remained seated.
He opened a drawer and pulled out a folder containing several documents. The folder was marked with a handwritten label: NORTHBRIDGE.
Inside were financial summaries, property records, and copies of correspondence involving a local business association. Some pages contained references to payments that had never been properly explained.
Voss flipped through them.
He remembered a conversation with Thomas McAllister several weeks earlier. McAllister had insisted that the documents were routine administrative records. He had promised that nobody outside the county would understand their significance.
But now a federal judge was sitting in the booking area.
And Voss had no idea how much she already knew.
Outside the office, Amara sat quietly.
Ethan approached with a paper cup of water.
DEPUTY COLE: "Here you go, Judge."
AMARA: "Thank you."
She accepted the cup.
Ethan looked at her stained blouse and the mark on her cheek.
DEPUTY COLE: "I'm sorry about what happened at the diner."
Amara looked at him.
AMARA: "You were there."
DEPUTY COLE: "Yes, ma'am."
AMARA: "Then you know what happened."
He nodded.
DEPUTY COLE: "I do."
AMARA: "Will you put it in your report?"
Ethan looked toward Voss's office.
DEPUTY COLE: "I don't know what the sheriff wants me to write."
AMARA: "Your report should not describe what the sheriff wants. It should describe what you witnessed."
Ethan lowered his voice.
DEPUTY COLE: "You don't understand how things work here."
AMARA: "I understand that sentence very well. I've heard it from people who believe fear is a substitute for authority."
Ethan looked down at his clipboard.