She had finally changed into professional clothing suitable for her new responsibilities, though the unusual outfit from the previous day remained carefully folded at her parents' house. Her shoulder was sore, and she'd slept only a few hours, but she wanted to begin with the work she'd promised the county commissioners she would undertake.
The sheriff's office occupied a three-story building beside the county courthouse.
Its hallways were lined with framed photographs of previous sheriffs, departmental commendations, and plaques commemorating fallen officers.
Some photographs showed decades of community service.
Others reflected administrations whose decisions had never been examined as closely as they should have been.
Camille studied the display while walking toward her office.
She understood the responsibility attached to the position.
A sheriff didn't simply wear a different badge.
The office affected the lives of employees, people detained in county facilities, families seeking assistance, and residents who might never have direct contact with its leadership.
Every decision could carry consequences far beyond headquarters.
Camille placed her handbag on the desk.
Then opened the transition briefing.
The Ridgeway Recovery contract appeared near the top of the list.
She stared at it.
For a moment, she could almost hear Voss shouting beside the Bentley.
Then she reached for the telephone.
It was time to make sure the department's problems were examined by people with the authority and independence to do it properly.
The independent administrative review began with the afternoon's encounter.
Because Camille was both the incoming sheriff and the affected vehicle owner, the county arranged for qualified outside investigators to evaluate the incident.
They collected the deputies' body-camera recordings.
Reviewed dispatch communications.
Obtained the original registration-verification records.
And interviewed the available witnesses separately.
Camille provided her own account through her attorney.
She didn't direct the investigation.
She didn't decide which allegations should be sustained.
And she didn't participate in the individual disciplinary decisions arising from her complaint.
Some county officials thought those precautions were excessive.
They believed the video already established what happened.
Camille disagreed.
"The video is evidence," she told Rowan. "It isn't permission to ignore procedure."
The captain nodded.
He understood that a politically significant incident could damage public confidence if the new sheriff appeared to punish an employee personally.
The review needed to be fair.
It also needed to be thorough.
The same standards should apply whether the complainant was the sheriff, an elderly carpenter, or a person who couldn't afford legal representation.
That was precisely the point Camille wanted the department to understand.
Solis gave her statement two days later.
She arrived at the independent investigator's office carrying a small notebook.
Her hands trembled as she sat down.
She had spent nearly two years learning how the sheriff's department operated, and she knew that challenging a senior deputy could damage her reputation among colleagues.
Some employees already considered her disloyal for contacting Lieutenant Cross during the encounter.
Others privately thanked her.