Harlow hesitated.
He wasn't used to a vehicle owner asking questions during a law-enforcement recovery.
Voss stepped closer.
"She doesn't need to know."
Camille held his gaze.
"If you're taking my car, I need to know the stated basis."
The deputy frowned.
"You're not entitled to dictate the paperwork."
She took a measured breath.
"I'm not dictating anything. I'm asking what justification you're recording."
Harlow looked toward the Bentley again.
The damaged glass glimmered on the pavement.
For the first time, he appeared genuinely uncomfortable.
The Ridgeway Recovery company had grown rapidly under Sheriff Bell's administration.
At first, that growth seemed ordinary.
Hawthorne County had expanded.
More residents meant more traffic.
More traffic meant more collisions, breakdowns, and law-enforcement towing requests.
But the county's financial review had identified unusual patterns.
Certain deputies called Ridgeway far more frequently than others.
Some vehicles remained in storage for days even after their owners provided registration documents.
And several invoices included administrative fees that didn't match the descriptions in the county's service agreement.
The findings didn't establish that every tow was improper.
But they warranted examination.
Voss's patrol unit appeared in many of the disputed records.
So did a senior administrative officer responsible for reviewing vehicle holds.
Camille knew those facts from her transition briefing.
She hadn't been told that Voss would be patrolling near Evelyn's house that afternoon.
And she hadn't anticipated becoming the owner of a vehicle he tried to send to Ridgeway.
But the tow truck's arrival brought those earlier concerns into sharp focus.
She looked at Harlow.
Then toward Voss.
For a moment, she wondered whether the deputy's behavior was simply reckless.
Or whether he had a financial or professional reason to insist on the impound despite verified ownership.
She couldn't answer that question yet.
So she didn't accuse him.
She asked him to document what he was doing.
Solis contacted the patrol supervisor.
Because Voss was himself a sergeant, the younger deputy requested guidance from the on-duty lieutenant.
She explained that a vehicle initially suspected in a possible theft had been verified as registered to the person standing beside it, but the sergeant had damaged windows and continued seeking an impound.
The dispatcher asked her to repeat the information.
Solis did.
Then provided the vehicle details.
Voss heard the call and became furious.
"Get off the radio."
She looked toward him.
"I'm requesting supervisory guidance."
"I am your supervisor."
"You're involved in the incident."
The words were calm.
But they changed the atmosphere.
For the first time, Solis openly acknowledged that her sergeant's behavior required review by someone outside the immediate encounter.
Voss stepped closer.
"You better think carefully about what you're doing."
Solis swallowed.
She knew he could influence assignments and evaluations.
She knew some deputies considered officers who challenged colleagues disloyal.