AMARA: "I'm not telling you anything you cannot read for yourself."
DALTON VOSS: "You expect me to believe that?"
AMARA: "I expect you to verify it through the appropriate official channels."
Ryan looked between them.
RYAN COLE: "Sheriff, maybe we should stop and contact the federal office before going any further."
Dalton shot him an angry look.
DALTON VOSS: "You want to tell me how to conduct an arrest now?"
RYAN COLE: "No, Sheriff. I'm saying we should verify the identification."
AMARA: "That's the first reasonable suggestion anyone has made since you entered this restaurant."
Dalton closed the wallet.
He placed it on the table, but kept one hand over it.
The sheriff was trying to regain control of the situation.
He had spent too many years convincing himself that nobody in Randolph County could challenge him.
Admitting that he had made a mistake in front of his own deputy and a restaurant full of witnesses was something he was unwilling to do.
DALTON VOSS: "A badge doesn't give you permission to behave however you want."
AMARA: "I agree."
Her answer caught him off guard.
AMARA: "And a sheriff's badge doesn't give you permission to assault people, confiscate their property without lawful justification, or fabricate accusations."
The room remained silent.
Dalton's expression tightened.
DALTON VOSS: "Nobody fabricated anything."
AMARA: "Then explain why you threw my drink in my face."
DALTON VOSS: "You were being investigated."
AMARA: "For what?"
DALTON VOSS: "Suspicious activity."
AMARA: "What suspicious activity?"
Dalton hesitated.
He glanced briefly toward Ryan.
DALTON VOSS: "We received a report."
AMARA: "From whom?"
DALTON VOSS: "That's not something I need to discuss with you."
AMARA: "You approached me without explaining anything, destroyed my drink, struck me, and attempted to arrest me. Now you're telling me there was a report."
Dalton's jaw tightened.
AMARA: "What did the report actually say?"
The sheriff looked away for a moment.
He knew that his explanation was becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
But instead of admitting that he had acted without sufficient information, he decided to change the accusation.
DALTON VOSS: "There was a woman matching your description involved in a theft investigation."
AMARA: "A theft investigation?"
DALTON VOSS: "An armed theft investigation."
Ryan looked up sharply.
RYAN COLE: "Sheriff, are you sure that's the same description?"
Dalton turned toward him.
DALTON VOSS: "Do you have a problem with my statement?"
RYAN COLE: "No, sir. I just haven't seen the report."
DALTON VOSS: "Then don't question what you haven't seen."
Amara listened carefully.
She understood what Dalton was attempting to do.
He was trying to construct a justification after the confrontation had already taken place.
But the more he spoke, the more inconsistencies appeared.
AMARA: "What time did this alleged theft occur?"
DALTON VOSS: "Earlier today."
AMARA: "Where?"
DALTON VOSS: "Near the highway."
AMARA: "Which location?"
DALTON VOSS: "I don't have to answer every question."
AMARA: "You don't have to answer me personally. But you will have to explain your actions through the proper legal process."
Dalton looked at her with open hostility.
DALTON VOSS: "You think that title makes you untouchable?"
AMARA: "No. I think the law applies to everyone."
The statement hung in the air.
At the counter, Martha had heard every word.
She had worked at the Kettle & Comb for nearly three years. She knew most of the local officers, and she had seen Dalton enter the restaurant many times.
Usually, he ordered coffee, occupied the same corner booth, and expected his food to be free.
Nobody challenged him.
Nobody questioned his behavior.
But she had never seen him act this violently toward a customer.
Martha quietly approached a nearby table where an older customer was sitting.
MARTHA: "Did you see what happened?"
The customer nodded.
OLDER CUSTOMER: "Every second of it."
MARTHA: "Did you see him throw the drink?"
OLDER CUSTOMER: "I was sitting right there."
Martha looked toward Dalton.
She was afraid he might notice their conversation.
The older customer lowered his voice.
OLDER CUSTOMER: "Someone needs to make sure this doesn't disappear."
Martha glanced at the security camera mounted above the counter.
It was positioned directly toward the booths.
The camera had recorded the entire incident.
She knew it.
And so did Dalton.
The sheriff suddenly looked toward the counter.
DALTON VOSS: "Martha."