“And who exactly are you?”
She produced credentials.
His eyes scanned them.
Whatever he read took some of the anger out of his face.
Not all.
The sheriff spoke.
“You are relieved from scene duties.”
“You cannot suspend me.”
“I can remove you from this scene.”
“I work for the town.”
“And this is now under county supervision until jurisdiction is sorted out.”
The senior officer pointed toward the general.
“She was driving a vehicle matching an active report.”
The sheriff glanced toward the parking area.
Nearly a dozen vehicles sat outside the chapel.
At least six were gray.
“What report?”
The officer recited a case number.
The younger partner flinched.
The sheriff noticed.
“What?”
The younger officer hesitated.
The senior officer snapped:
“Don’t.”
The sheriff turned fully toward the younger man.
“Officer.”
The younger officer’s throat worked.
“That call was cleared earlier.”
The sheriff’s expression changed.
“When?”
“Late morning.”
“What was cleared?”
“The original vehicle was found.”
“Where?”
“Two counties east.”
The sheriff slowly turned back.
The senior officer said:
“We had supplemental information.”
“From whom?”
“Dispatch.”
The sheriff looked toward the younger partner.
“Did you hear the supplemental update?”
“No.”
“Was it on the mobile terminal?”
“No.”
“Radio?”
“No.”
The sheriff looked again at the senior officer.
“You alone received it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
The officer hesitated.
“Phone.”
“From?”
“A source.”
The sheriff waited.
Nothing.
“Name.”
“I’m not disclosing a confidential source in a parking lot.”
The sheriff stared at him for several seconds.
Then nodded.
“That will make the records request interesting.”
The general said nothing.
She had spent enough years watching people under pressure to know that silence often revealed more than argument.
The senior officer looked toward her.
“You think this is funny?”
“No.”
Her voice remained calm.
“My mother is inside that coffin.”
His expression faltered.
Only slightly.
The general continued.
“I would like to complete her funeral.”
The sheriff immediately nodded.
“Of course.”
The dark-suited woman asked:
“Would you like a security perimeter?”
“No.”
“Ma’am—”
“This remains a funeral.”
The woman understood.
“No visible expansion unless necessary.”
“Correct.”
The senior officer laughed again.
“You’re all acting like I attacked her.”
The general finally looked directly at him.
“You put me in restraints after refusing readily available verification.”
“You ordered my vehicle held based on a report your own partner says was closed.”
“You shoved my brother.”
“And you are still more interested in defending your authority than explaining your basis.”