For a moment, he looked toward Mercer.
Then back at me.
His expression became unreadable.
Finally, he said, "I think we should get those cuffs off."
I held his gaze.
"Please document that they were applied and removed, including the time and reason."
He nodded slowly.
"Of course."
The cuffs were removed.
My wrists were sore.
I rubbed them gently and stepped away from the car.
A medical responder arrived shortly afterward and examined me. My shoulder appeared strained, and there were several minor scratches from the glass. I declined to speculate about injuries I couldn't yet identify and agreed to seek a fuller assessment.
Then I looked toward the broken window.
My white jacket was still on the passenger seat.
Small fragments of glass covered the fabric.
My handbag lay open.
And the driver's door hung slightly ajar.
It was an ordinary roadside scene.
A damaged vehicle.
A frightened driver.
Two officers.
A supervisor.
But I knew that the way everyone handled the next twenty minutes would determine whether the incident became an honest investigation or another report quietly filed away under the word resolved.
Lieutenant Halden asked whether I wanted to make a complaint.
For a moment, I wondered if he realized how absurd the question sounded.
I looked toward my vehicle.
Then at Mercer.
Then back at him.
"Yes."
Halden nodded.
"All right. We can address it at headquarters."
I shook my head.
"We can begin documenting it here."
He stared.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then I continued.
"The scene needs to be recorded. The relevant video and dispatch records need preservation. Witness information should be collected, and the vehicle damage should be photographed before anyone moves or cleans anything."
Halden's jaw tightened.
"Ms. Dugan, I understand the process."
I looked at him.
"Then please follow it."
Bennett lowered his gaze.
Mercer stood near the cruiser, looking increasingly uncomfortable.
Halden turned toward the younger deputy.
"Make sure the incident documentation is started."
Bennett nodded.
"Yes, sir."
I looked toward the street.
A woman stood beside a small silver crossover parked near the entrance to a shopping center.
She was holding a phone.
For a moment, our eyes met.
Then she approached cautiously.
"Excuse me?"
Halden turned.
"Ma'am, please stay back."
She stopped several feet away.
"I saw what happened."
The lieutenant's expression changed.
The woman was in her thirties, wearing a blue cardigan and dark trousers. Her hands trembled slightly as she held her phone.
She looked toward me.
"Are you okay?"
I took a breath.
"I think so. Thank you."