"Sir, please make sure you preserve that recording."
"Absolutely."
Riley suddenly found his voice.
"Wait. Hold on. There has been a misunderstanding."
Vanessa looked back at him.
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes, ma'am. We didn't know."
"You didn't know what?"
"That you were federal."
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
"Would that have changed how you treated me?"
Neither officer answered.
She continued.
"Would you have spoken differently if you had known my position?"
Riley looked down.
"Ma'am, we were responding to a report."
"Then show me the report."
Miller looked toward Riley.
Riley hesitated.
Vanessa noticed.
"Where is the original complaint?"
"We have it at the station," Miller said.
"Who filed it?"
"Dispatch received an anonymous call."
"At what time?"
Riley glanced at his watch.
"Approximately thirty minutes ago."
Vanessa nodded slowly.
"And what did the caller report?"
Miller hesitated.
"That a woman matching your description had damaged a patrol vehicle and threatened an officer."
Vanessa stared at him.
"That's interesting."
Riley frowned.
"What?"
"My vehicle was already damaged before your arrival."
She gestured toward the shattered window.
"And I have photographs of it."
Miller's face tightened.
"Maybe you damaged it yourself."
Vanessa turned toward him.
"Then why did you arrest me before conducting any examination of the scene?"
Silence.
She continued.
"Why did neither of you request my identification before applying handcuffs?"
Riley attempted to interrupt.
"Ma'am—"
"Why did you refuse to contact your supervisor?"
He said nothing.
Vanessa looked at the nameplate on his chest.
"Officer Riley, I want both of your body-camera recordings preserved immediately."
Riley nodded quickly.
"Yes, ma'am."
"And I want the dispatch recording, the original complaint, the patrol vehicle camera footage, and every communication related to this stop."
"Of course."
"Do not delete anything. Do not alter anything. Do not contact anyone to coordinate statements."
Riley's eyes widened.
"Coordinate statements?"
Vanessa looked at him.
"Why did that concern you?"
He looked away.
Miller stepped forward.
"Special Agent Carter, we can take care of this professionally."
Vanessa turned toward him.
"Professionally?"
She raised her cuffed hands slightly.
"Is this what professionalism looks like?"
Miller's face reddened.
Riley finally reached for the handcuff key.
"Let me remove those."
"Wait."
Vanessa's voice stopped him.
"Before you unlock them, I want your supervisor here."
Riley nodded.
"Yes, ma'am."
He reached for his radio.
"Dispatch, this is Unit Twelve. Requesting a supervisor to our location."
A crackling voice answered.
"Unit Twelve, state the nature of the request."
Riley glanced at Vanessa.
"We have a situation involving a federal agent."
There was a pause.
Then dispatch responded.
"Repeat that, Unit Twelve."
Riley swallowed.
"An FBI agent. We need a supervisor immediately."
The radio went silent.
Then a different voice came through.
It was deeper.
More authoritative.
"Unit Twelve, this is Lieutenant Harris. Identify the agent."
Riley looked at Vanessa.
"Special Agent Vanessa Carter."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then the lieutenant asked a question that made Vanessa's expression change.
"Did you say Vanessa Carter?"
"Affirmative."
"Is she standing beside the patrol vehicle?"
"Yes, sir."
The lieutenant's voice became tense.
"Officer Riley, do not release her yet."
Vanessa immediately looked toward the radio.
"Lieutenant Harris?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Who is speaking?"
A brief silence.
Then the answer came.
"Lieutenant David Harris."
Vanessa's expression became colder.
"David, why did you just order them to keep me in custody?"
Harris hesitated.
"Ma'am, I need to understand what's happening."
"You have the location. You have my name. You know I'm an FBI agent. What else do you need?"
"Please remain calm."
Vanessa looked at Riley.
Then at Miller.
Finally, she looked directly at the radio.
"I have been calm for the entire duration of this encounter."
Harris lowered his voice.
"Special Agent Carter, I need you to listen carefully."
Vanessa said nothing.
"Did you recover the package?"
Her expression changed.
"What package?"
Riley and Miller exchanged a quick glance.
Harris continued.
"The evidence package from your vehicle."
Vanessa looked toward the shattered window.
"What evidence package?"
The radio crackled.
Then Harris spoke again.
"Ma'am, this is not the place to discuss it."
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
"Lieutenant, I was driving to the federal courthouse. My vehicle was struck by another car. When I stopped to inspect the damage, your officers arrived and accused me of assaulting a deputy."
She paused.
"Now you're asking about an evidence package I never mentioned."
Nobody spoke.
Ethan slowly lowered his phone for a moment, then raised it again.
Vanessa looked at the patrol vehicle.
The broken window.
The scattered glass.
And the small black object lying near the rear tire.
She had not noticed it before.
It was a phone.
Not hers.
Not either officer's.
It was positioned beneath the patrol vehicle, almost hidden by the shadow.
Vanessa stared at it.
"Officer Riley."
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Do not move."
Riley froze.
She pointed toward the ground.
"Do you see that phone?"
He looked down.
His face changed.
Miller took a step backward.
Vanessa watched him.
"Officer Miller, why are you moving away from it?"
"I'm not."
"You just did."
Riley looked between them.
"What is going on?"
Vanessa slowly lowered her voice.
"That's what I'm trying to find out."
Then the radio crackled again.
Lieutenant Harris spoke urgently.
"Unit Twelve, listen to me. Secure the scene. Do not allow anyone to touch the phone."
Vanessa looked at the radio.
"Lieutenant, how did you know there was a phone?"
Silence.
Then Harris answered.
"Because I know what you're looking at."
Vanessa's eyes hardened.
"You're not at the scene."
"No, ma'am."
"Then explain how you know."
The radio went quiet.
A few seconds passed.