"Ma'am, I'm going to ask you one more time. Turn around and put your hands behind your back."
Emily took a slow breath.
"On what grounds?"
Brooks stepped forward and seized her wrist.
"Resisting an officer."
"I haven't resisted."
"You're resisting right now."
"Because you're grabbing me."
He twisted her arm behind her back.
Emily winced but did not struggle.
Miller watched closely.
"Daniel, she hasn't done anything."
"Get the cuffs."
Miller hesitated.
"Are you sure?"
Brooks turned toward him.
"Did you hear me?"
Miller removed the handcuffs from his belt.
Emily looked at the younger officer.
"Officer Miller, I want you to remember exactly what happened here."
He froze.
Brooks shoved her against the side of the cruiser.
"Stop talking."
The handcuffs clicked shut.
Emily's wrists were pulled behind her back.
Brooks checked the cuffs, then stepped away.
"See? That wasn't difficult."
Emily looked at him.
"No. It wasn't."
He seemed to find her calmness amusing.
"You're going to have a very different attitude when we get to the station."
Emily said nothing.
What Brooks didn't know was that she had already activated the emergency recording function on her phone before he approached.
The device was secured inside her front pocket.
It was capturing audio.
What he also didn't know was that the federal investigative team had been monitoring the storage facility from a nearby location.
They had been waiting for Bell to leave safely.
But when the officers arrived, the situation changed.
And when Emily's phone registered the activation of the emergency recording protocol, a notification was sent to the secure federal monitoring system.
At 2:18 p.m., Marcus Reed received the alert.
He immediately looked up from his desk.
"That's not good."
Across the room, Special Agent Laura Bennett turned toward him.
"What happened?"
"Emily's emergency protocol just activated."
Laura stood.
"Where is she?"
"Westbridge Municipal Storage Facility."
"Do we have her location?"
Marcus checked the screen.
"She's moving. Looks like she's in a police vehicle."
Laura's expression changed.
"Which department?"
Marcus opened the live tracking information.
"Westbridge."
Neither spoke for a moment.
Then Marcus picked up his phone.
"Call the local command office. Now."
Back on the roadside, Brooks had decided that the easiest way to deal with Emily was to keep her uncomfortable.
He placed her beside the cruiser and began asking questions.
"What was your relationship with Bell?"
"Professional."
"Doing what?"
"Discussing documents."
"What documents?"
Emily looked at him.
"Why don't you tell me what you think I was doing?"
Brooks laughed.
"You think you're clever?"
"No."
"Then stop acting like it."
Miller stood near the passenger door, looking increasingly uneasy.
"Daniel, the dispatch notes say suspicious activity. They don't mention a theft."
Brooks waved his hand.
"We'll sort it out at the station."
"But what exactly are we charging her with?"
"Interfering with an investigation."
"Is that a charge?"
"It will be."
Emily slowly turned her head.
"Officer Brooks, I want your badge number."
He stared at her.
"You'll get it when we get to the station."
"I'd like it now."
"You don't get to make demands."
"I believe I'm allowed to know the identity of the officer arresting me."
Brooks smiled.
"You're welcome to file a complaint."
"I intend to."
He stepped behind her and noticed the leather badge holder in her back pocket.
That was when he pulled it out.
That was when everything changed.
Now, standing beside the cruiser, Brooks stared at the federal identification card as though it might disappear if he blinked.
Miller reached for it.
"Let me see."
Brooks handed it over.
Miller examined the badge carefully.
His face lost color.
"Oh, my God."
Emily watched them.
"Is there a problem?"
Brooks swallowed.
"Where did you get this?"
Emily's expression became colder.
"Are you seriously asking me where I got my own identification?"
Miller looked at the photograph.
Then at Emily.
Then at the badge again.
"Daniel..."
"Shut up."
"No, you need to look at this."
"I've already looked at it."
Miller turned the identification card over.
There was an official security marking and a verification number.
He took a breath.
"She's federal."
Brooks looked at Emily.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
For the first time, she smiled.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
"Now that's an interesting question."
Brooks tried to recover his composure.
"Listen, this is probably just a misunderstanding."
"Is it?"
"We had a report."
"From whom?"
"That's not something I can discuss on the roadside."
"Then perhaps you should have considered that before arresting me."
He looked toward Miller.
"Take these cuffs off."
Miller moved immediately.
But Emily spoke before he could touch them.
"Don't."
Both officers stopped.
Emily looked directly at Brooks.
"Why would you remove them?"
He hesitated.
"Because you're a federal investigator."
"That didn't seem to concern you five minutes ago."
"I was responding to a call."
"And what exactly was the call?"
"Suspicious activity."
"Was there a warrant?"
"No."
"Did you witness a crime?"
"No."
"Did you identify me?"
Brooks remained silent.
"Did you ask for identification before placing me in handcuffs?"
He looked down.
"No."
"Did you ask whether I was conducting an official investigation?"
"No."
"Then explain to me why you believed you had the authority to arrest me."
Brooks rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ma'am, I understand that you're upset."
"I'm not upset."
"Obviously, this situation has gotten out of hand."
"No. You got out of hand."
Miller looked away.
Brooks tried another approach.
"Look, we can clear this up at the station."
Emily's eyes narrowed.
"Absolutely not."
He blinked.
"What?"
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"You're still technically under arrest."
"Then I suggest you contact your supervisor and explain why you arrested a federal investigator without establishing probable cause."