For several seconds, she studied her reflection.
The outfit was fashionable.
Unconventional.
And perfectly appropriate for her afternoon visit.
Nothing about it announced law-enforcement experience.
That was exactly the point.
She turned toward her mother.
"No."
Then she smiled faintly.
"This is what I wore when he decided I couldn't own my car."
Denise understood.
She nodded.
"Then go make sure they understand what happened."
Camille took a slow breath.
"I intend to."
Deputy Colin Voss arrived at headquarters shortly before eleven-forty.
He'd been instructed to attend the midnight transition briefing with several other patrol supervisors.
The command had surprised him.
Normally, meetings involving sheriff appointments were handled during business hours.
But the outgoing sheriff's resignation and the incoming sheriff's effective start time had required a special overnight transition.
Voss wasn't particularly interested in the new administration.
He'd heard rumors that the county selected an investigator from outside the department.
He assumed the new sheriff would deliver a speech about accountability, announce a few policy changes, and eventually learn that experienced deputies were the people who actually kept the county running.
He believed he knew the job better than anyone who spent years examining financial records.
And he had no intention of letting an outsider dictate how he handled traffic stops.
Still, the afternoon's encounter troubled him.
Lieutenant Cross had questioned the broken windows.
Solis had contacted dispatch without following his direction.
And the owner of the Bentley had remained unnervingly calm.
Voss kept remembering her last statement.
You're going to have to explain every decision you just made.
He told himself she was bluffing.
A wealthy woman who believed she could intimidate police with lawsuits.
But the uncertainty nagged at him.
Before entering the briefing room, he checked his phone.
There was a new message from the department's administrative office.
All relevant recordings and incident records from today's vehicle encounter must be preserved pending review.
Voss stared.
Then muttered under his breath.
"Unbelievable."
He slipped the phone into his pocket.
And walked inside.
The command room was brightly illuminated.
Several large windows overlooked the headquarters parking lot, where patrol vehicles stood beneath white security lights.
An American flag and the county seal occupied the wall behind a long conference table.
Command staff members were seated along both sides.
Some wore formal uniforms.
Others had arrived directly from patrol.
Captain Michael Rowan stood near the head of the table, reviewing the final transition documents.
Voss took a seat toward the middle.
Solis sat several chairs away.
He noticed her immediately.
For a moment, he considered confronting her about the radio call.
Then he saw Lieutenant Cross standing near the doorway.
He decided against it.
The room gradually became quiet.
At exactly midnight, Rowan stepped forward.
"Good evening, everyone."
Several officers straightened.
The captain continued.