She knew stress could affect her condition.
She placed one hand against her belly.
"Please, can we just ask the pharmacist?"
Mercer reached for the white bag.
She held it closer instinctively.
"Sir, this is my medicine."
He grabbed it.
"Don't resist."
Naomi gasped.
"I'm not resisting."
Jordan turned from the store employee.
He saw Mercer pulling the bag away.
Then he looked toward Naomi's pregnancy.
His expression changed.
"Sergeant, what's happening?"
Mercer didn't look at him.
"Possible prescription fraud."
Jordan frowned.
"Based on what?"
The sergeant's face reddened.
"Based on my investigation."
Naomi stared.
"There is no fraud. I just picked up a refill."
For a moment, the younger officer looked toward the pharmacy.
He could see Mara standing behind the counter.
He took a step forward.
"Sir, let me verify that."
Mercer raised one hand.
"Stay where you are."
And the situation began spiraling toward the confrontation that would be recorded by three different cameras.
Jordan Price had been a police officer for nearly nine years.
He grew up in Richmond, the son of a city bus driver and a public school teacher.
His mother taught him to treat authority with respect.
His father taught him that respect wasn't the same as unquestioning obedience.
Jordan joined the police department at twenty-three.
He believed law enforcement could be a meaningful way to serve his community.
During his early years, he worked alongside officers who handled difficult situations with patience and professionalism.
He also encountered colleagues who treated every disagreement as a threat.
Mercer was one of them.
Jordan had been assigned to work with the sergeant several months earlier.
At first, he admired Mercer's experience.
The older officer knew the city.
Recognized repeat offenders.
And could navigate complicated situations quickly.
But Jordan became increasingly uncomfortable with how Mercer handled people who asked questions.
A nervous driver became "uncooperative."
A confused teenager became "argumentative."
And a person who requested an explanation was sometimes described as interfering with police work.
Jordan raised concerns privately.
Mercer laughed them off.
"You'll understand when you've been doing this longer."
Jordan reminded him that he'd already been an officer for years.
Mercer smiled coldly.
"Then act like it."
The relationship deteriorated.
Jordan began documenting his own observations more carefully.
He didn't want to accuse another officer without evidence.
But he also didn't want to become someone who ignored wrongdoing simply because the person responsible wore the same uniform.