Victoria agreed.
She wanted a record of her condition, not simply because it might become relevant to the complaint, but because she needed to know that she was physically safe.
As the conversation continued, Miller stood beside the patrol car with his arms folded.
He appeared increasingly frustrated.
At one point, he stepped toward Price as if he wanted to interrupt, but the sergeant raised a hand.
SERGEANT PRICE: "Officer Miller, wait until I'm finished."
Miller stopped.
The small gesture seemed to affect him more than Victoria expected.
Until then, he had behaved as though his authority over the roadside encounter was absolute. He had spoken to Victoria as if she had no right to question him, and he had treated Brooks's intervention as an act of disloyalty.
Now he was being told to wait.
He was being asked questions.
And another officer was recording what had happened.
Victoria could see that the change unsettled him.
She did not mistake his discomfort for remorse, however. He had not apologized, acknowledged the demand, or explained why he had used force.
He was simply facing a situation he could no longer control by raising his voice.
That distinction mattered.
Victoria did not want him to become frightened merely because someone had mentioned the FBI. She wanted him to understand that his actions had consequences because no person should be permitted to use a badge to demand private money or assault someone who refused.
If the evidence established what she had reported, the matter deserved a serious response.
If there were additional facts, they should be examined as well.
She wanted the same standard applied to everyone involved.
When Sergeant Price finished the initial questions, he informed Victoria that she would receive information about the reporting process and that the department would determine the appropriate steps regarding the officers.
He did not promise that Miller would be dismissed.
He did not promise that the complaint would result in criminal charges.
He did not tell her that the matter would disappear.
Instead, he explained that the incident needed to be documented, that the relevant recordings should be preserved, and that the accounts of everyone involved would have to be reviewed.
Victoria appreciated the clarity.
VICTORIA: "I understand that you can't tell me what the final outcome will be. But I need to know that this won't simply be treated as an ordinary traffic stop."
SERGEANT PRICE: "Based on what has been reported, it needs to be examined beyond a routine traffic citation. I can't determine the outcome here, but I will make sure the incident is referred through the appropriate channels."
VICTORIA: "And the demand for two thousand dollars?"
SERGEANT PRICE: "That allegation will be included."
VICTORIA: "And the physical assault?"
SERGEANT PRICE: "That will be included too."
Victoria took a slow breath.
For the first time since Miller had approached the window, she felt that the essential parts of her account had been acknowledged.
It did not mean that she had won.
It did not mean that Miller would be punished.
It meant that the incident had become an official matter requiring further attention.
That was a beginning.
An emergency medical team was contacted to assess Victoria. While she waited, she remained inside the Mercedes with the window partly raised, keeping her phone and handbag within reach.
Brooks stood several feet away, speaking quietly with Price.
Miller had been instructed to remain apart from Victoria while the initial documentation continued.
The distance gave her a little room to think.
She replayed the encounter in her mind, trying to remember every detail without allowing her fear to alter what she knew.
The exact wording of the demand.
The position of Miller's hand against the window frame.
The moment he reached for the purse.
The pressure on her wrist.
The sudden grip around her throat.
Brooks's command to release her.
The first question from the person who answered her call.
She wanted to remember the facts in their proper order.
Her phone vibrated again.
Claire was calling.
Victoria answered.
CLAIRE: "Victoria, what's going on? Your message scared me."
VICTORIA: "I was stopped by a police officer. He demanded two thousand dollars from me, and when I refused, he grabbed me by the throat."
There was silence on the other end.
CLAIRE: "What? Are you serious?"
VICTORIA: "Yes. The other officer stopped him. I'm still at the roadside, and a supervisor is documenting everything."