Brooks opened his mouth.
No words came out.
Emily continued.
"And while you're doing that, you might want to explain why you were so interested in the documents Thomas Bell was carrying."
Miller turned sharply.
"Thomas Bell?"
Brooks looked at her.
"What documents?"
"The documents you were apparently trying to prevent him from handing over."
Brooks's face hardened.
"You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Then you should have no difficulty explaining your actions."
A vehicle approached from the far end of the street.
It was a black government SUV.
It moved quickly but did not use sirens.
Brooks watched it pull to a stop behind the cruiser.
Two people stepped out.
The first was Laura Bennett, a federal special agent in her early forties. She wore dark trousers, a navy blazer, and a discreet federal identification badge clipped to her belt.
The second was Marcus Reed.
He was in his late fifties, tall, with silver hair and an expression that rarely revealed what he was thinking.
The moment Emily saw them, her posture relaxed slightly.
"Marcus."
He walked directly toward her.
"Emily. Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Your wrists?"
"Just uncomfortable."
Marcus looked at the handcuffs.
Then at Brooks.
"Who placed these on her?"
Brooks stepped forward.
"Sir, there was a misunderstanding."
Marcus didn't look at him.
"Agent Bennett, document the scene."
Laura immediately took out her phone and began recording.
Marcus turned toward Miller.
"Officer, step away from the vehicle."
Miller complied.
Brooks tried to speak again.
"Sir, we received a report of suspicious activity, and the subject refused to cooperate."
Marcus finally looked at him.
"Did you identify yourself?"
"Yes."
"Did you identify her?"
"We discovered her identification just now."
"Before or after you arrested her?"
Brooks hesitated.
"After."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Did she present a threat?"
"No."
"Did she attempt to flee?"
"No."
"Did she physically resist?"
Brooks looked uncomfortable.
"She questioned my instructions."
Marcus's expression remained unchanged.
"Questioning an instruction is not the same as resisting an arrest."
Laura approached Emily and carefully examined the handcuffs.
"Do you want these removed?"
"Yes, please."
Laura turned toward Miller.
"Key."
Miller immediately handed it over.
A few seconds later, the cuffs opened.
Emily rubbed her wrists.
Marcus watched the officers.
"Now, I'd like everyone to understand something. This investigation is not being conducted by your department. It is a federal inquiry involving allegations of evidence tampering, financial misconduct, and obstruction of justice."
Brooks swallowed.
"Sir, I wasn't aware."
Marcus looked at him.
"That is precisely the problem."
He reached into his jacket and removed a document.
"Your department was notified that federal investigators were conducting an inquiry into the handling of evidence connected to several Westbridge cases. The notification was delivered to your command office twelve days ago."
Brooks stared at him.
"I didn't receive anything."
"That is something we'll establish."
Marcus handed the document to Laura.
"Do we have the initial report?"
Laura nodded.
"Yes. The original dispatch recording is secured. We also have the emergency audio from Emily's device."
Brooks looked toward Emily.
"You're recording us?"
Emily calmly reached into her pocket and removed her phone.
"Since before you arrived."
Miller's face changed.
Brooks stared at the device.
"You recorded the entire interaction?"
"Yes."
"That's not—"
Marcus interrupted.
"Careful, Officer. I would strongly recommend that you think before saying anything else."
Brooks closed his mouth.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The afternoon traffic continued behind them.
A dog barked somewhere in the distance.
The red and blue lights of the police cruiser continued flashing against the trees.
It was a strange scene.
A police officer who had spent the afternoon treating a woman like a criminal now stood before federal investigators, unable to explain why he had arrested her.
But Emily knew this was only the beginning.
Because she hadn't been investigating Brooks alone.
She had been investigating an entire network.
And his arrest of her might have revealed something far more important than his own misconduct.
Marcus turned toward her.
"Where's Bell?"
Emily's expression changed.
"Inside the storage facility."
"Did you get the documents?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Someone was with him. I saw them arguing through the side window. Bell told me to leave."
Laura looked toward the building.
"Did you recognize the other individual?"
Emily shook her head.
"Not clearly. But I saw a dark blue pickup parked behind the building."
Marcus looked at Laura.
"Get a team over there."
She immediately stepped away to make the call.
Marcus turned back to Emily.
"Did you see Brooks arrive?"
"Yes."
"Was he alone?"
"With Officer Miller."
"Did you see anyone communicate with him?"
Emily thought for a moment.
"No. But he seemed to know exactly who he was looking for."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
Brooks shifted his weight.
"Sir, I think we should probably contact our lieutenant before this goes any further."
Marcus looked at him.
"Absolutely."
He took out his phone.
"What's your lieutenant's name?"
"Lieutenant Robert Hayes."
Marcus paused.
For the first time, his expression changed.
"Robert Hayes?"
"Yes, sir."
Marcus looked at Emily.
She understood immediately.
Hayes was one of the names on the investigation's internal watchlist.
He had signed several of the impound transfer forms that Emily had been examining.
And he had been the person who approved the overtime assignments connected to Brooks.
Marcus lowered his phone.
"Officer Brooks, I think we'll wait before contacting Lieutenant Hayes."
Brooks looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because we need to determine whether he has any involvement in this investigation."
The officer went pale.
Miller slowly turned toward him.
"What does that mean?"
Emily looked at Miller.
"It means you should start remembering everything that happened during the last eight months."