Mercer moved close.
“What do you really do?”
“Consulting.”
“For who?”
“Clients.”
“You always this difficult?”
“Only when strangers search my property without permission.”
His face reddened.
“Put her in the car.”
Briggs hesitated.
“Sheriff…”
“What?”
“We didn't find anything.”
Mercer turned.
“I know.”
“Then…”
The younger deputy stopped.
Mercer stared.
“Then what?”
Briggs looked toward Ava.
“Nothing.”
“Good.”
They transported her.
Ava could have identified herself.
She considered it twice.
Once when Mercer handcuffed her.
Once when he placed her in the cruiser.
But she was not in immediate physical danger.
Briggs was present.
Vehicle audio recording was active.
Secure phone had triggered.
And the assignment had suddenly produced exactly what the task force had been trying to understand.
So Ava stayed quiet.
That decision would bother her later.
Not because it was wrong.
Because she wondered whether curiosity had become recklessness.
Her supervisor would ask the same.
But at that moment, she believed the evidence mattered.
Then booking began.
And Mercer started flirting.
That changed the nature of the day again.
The federal preservation operation lasted until evening.
Agents copied servers.
Collected body-camera files.
Obtained warrants for restricted evidence where needed.
Interviewed staff.
Ava gave her initial statement in a conference room at the station.
Ellis sat across from her.
“You should've identified yourself.”
Ava knew it was coming.
“I considered it.”
“When?”
“Roadside.”
“And?”
“I didn't feel unsafe.”
Ellis stared.
“You were handcuffed by a sheriff under investigation.”
“I had Briggs present.”
“You didn't know Briggs.”
“I knew his file.”
Ellis sighed.
“That is not the same.”
“No.”
Ava admitted it.
Ellis leaned back.
“You're one of my best investigators.”
“Thank you.”
“That was not praise.”
Ava almost smiled.
Ellis continued:
“If Mercer had escalated further—”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
Ava looked down at her wrists.
Faint red marks.
Nothing serious.
Ellis softened slightly.
“Why did you stay under?”
Ava thought.
Then answered honestly.
“Because every complaint said the same thing.”
“What?”
“That he became worse after people said no.”
Ellis waited.
Ava continued:
“I wanted to know whether it was true.”
“And?”
Ava looked toward the booking room wall.
“Yes.”
Ellis nodded.
“That's not the only thing you learned.”
“No.”
“The comments.”
“Yes.”
“You okay?”
Ava exhaled.
“I am angry.”
“That's allowed.”
“He thought the cuffs made conversation safe for him.”
Ellis's expression hardened.
“That will be documented.”
Ava nodded.
Then:
“Hannah.”
“What about her?”
“She knows things.”