"Anybody can put a sticker on a case."
The rookie shook his head.
"Dispatch verified the vehicle."
The sergeant's jaw tightened.
"With whom?"
"The state investigative liaison."
The older man's eyes widened.
For a moment, he seemed to consider another explanation.
Then he looked toward the woman.
She stood beside the driver's door, composed despite the tension around her.
Her sunglasses were in one hand.
The other rested near her silver handbag.
The gray ruffles of her trousers moved gently in the breeze.
The deputy stared.
Then smiled nervously.
"Well, if this is some kind of government car, you should've said so."
The woman met his eyes.
"I provided a valid driver's license and registration."
He opened his mouth.
She continued.
"You refused to explain the alleged violation."
The rookie looked toward the ground.
The senior deputy shifted his weight.
Then attempted a laugh.
"Look, I was just making sure everything checked out."
The woman studied him.
"Is that why you demanded four thousand dollars?"
His smile disappeared.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then he pointed toward the rookie.
"Get dispatch back on the radio."
The younger man hesitated.
The sergeant's voice rose.
"Now."
The rookie remained still.
Then answered.
"They've already instructed us not to move the vehicle."
The older deputy took another step toward him.
"I give you orders, son."
The young man swallowed.
Then looked toward the woman.
For the first time, his voice was clear.
"And dispatch has an active state-investigative notification. I can't ignore that."
The senior deputy stared at him.
For a moment, the woman worried the older man might direct his anger toward the rookie.
Then a sound came from the road.
An approaching vehicle.
A dark SUV emerged from the bend, followed by another official vehicle.
Both slowed and pulled onto the shoulder behind the sheriff's cars.
The older deputy turned.
His face changed.
And the woman knew the roadside portion of the operation was ending.
Three state investigators stepped out of the first SUV.
They wore ordinary professional clothing with clearly displayed official credentials once they approached the scene. A fourth person remained with the vehicle, coordinating the arrival and ensuring the highway shoulder remained safe.
The lead investigator was a forty-eight-year-old Black American man with short gray hair, an athletic build, and the calm manner of someone accustomed to difficult interviews.