Victoria had experienced stressful situations before. She had stood before judges while opposing counsel challenged her arguments, managed difficult negotiations, and reviewed evidence that had forced her to reconsider her initial assumptions. Those experiences had taught her not to confuse the first few minutes of a crisis with its eventual outcome.
Still, this was different.
She was not sitting in a courtroom where established procedures governed the conversation. She was in a locked room, unable to reach her phone, with an officer who had already demonstrated that he might disregard information that contradicted his beliefs.
She thought about contacting her office.
Her colleagues would know that she had left the afternoon meeting, and someone might wonder why she had not responded to messages. But her phone remained in her handbag beside the Mercedes, and she had no idea whether anyone had retrieved it.
She could not call her assistant. She could not immediately reach a colleague. She could not even confirm how the police had recorded her detention.
The isolation was frustrating, but she forced herself to remain calm.
A few minutes later, the door opened.
Reynolds returned carrying a thin folder and a paper cup of coffee. He placed the folder on the table and sat down. His demeanor had not softened.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "Let's try this again. Where did you get the Mercedes?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "I purchased it through a dealership."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "Which dealership?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "Hayes Automotive handled the transaction. I can provide the purchase records if you need them."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "Hayes Automotive? Is that a family business?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "My family has business interests, but that is irrelevant to whether I own this vehicle."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "You expect me to believe that an expensive car like this just belongs to you?"
Victoria's expression became still.
The question revealed more about Reynolds's assumptions than any of his earlier remarks. He had not asked her to explain an inconsistency in the paperwork. He was questioning whether someone who looked like her should reasonably possess such a vehicle.
VICTORIA HAYES: "My financial circumstances are not evidence of a crime."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "I didn't say they were."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Then why are you questioning me as though owning an expensive car is suspicious?"
Reynolds tapped his pen against the folder.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "I'm trying to establish the facts."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Then establish them. Verify the registration. Check the vehicle identification number. Contact the dealership if necessary. I have nothing to hide."
The officer looked down at his notes.
He had several ways to proceed. He could request a records check using the information on Victoria's license. He could ask another officer to inspect the vehicle identification number. He could contact the relevant department to determine whether the Mercedes was connected to any outstanding theft report.
Instead, he returned to the same questions he had already asked, as though repeating them might produce a different answer.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "Why were you reaching around inside the vehicle when I approached?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "I was looking for a folder."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "What folder?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "My work folder. It was on the passenger seat."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "What kind of work do you do?"
Victoria considered her answer carefully.
She had no reason to lie about her occupation, but she also knew that Reynolds had been using personal details to fuel his suspicions rather than clarify the alleged offense.
VICTORIA HAYES: "I'm an attorney."
Reynolds raised his eyebrows slightly.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "An attorney?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "Yes."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "What kind?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "I work for the state."
For a moment, something resembling amusement crossed his face.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "You work for the state, and you're standing in a parking lot searching through an expensive car?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "I had parked my car and was retrieving my belongings. That is what happened."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "And I'm supposed to believe you're a state attorney?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "You don't have to believe anything based on my word alone. You can verify my identity."
Reynolds leaned forward.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "You know, people say all kinds of things when they get themselves into trouble."
Victoria felt her patience thinning, but she maintained her composure.
VICTORIA HAYES: "My occupation can be verified through official records. So can my identity. So can the registration of my vehicle. None of this requires you to guess."