“Then tell me where you're hiding it!”
“Where I'm hiding what?”
His jaw tightened.
For a moment, he seemed to realize he'd said too much.
Then he caught the front of her white cape with one hand and shoved her backward by the shoulder.
Her heel scraped across the pavement.
The long sequined skirt shifted around her ankles.
She stumbled half a step but remained standing, her expression controlled behind the sunglasses.
A woman watching from the sidewalk gasped.
The youngest officer looked over his shoulder.
“Sergeant—”
“KEEP SEARCHING!”
The sergeant released the cape.
He pointed toward the vehicle.
“Check the center console again!”
The woman calmly straightened the white fabric across her shoulder.
Then looked down at her fallen handbag.
“Are you going to explain why you're searching my car?”
The sergeant laughed.
“Because I said so.”
“That isn't a legal justification.”
He stepped closer.
“You want to tell me how to do my job?”
She looked directly at him.
“No.”
Her voice remained quiet.
“I want you to tell me what you're actually looking for.”
The officer's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But she noticed.
His eyes moved toward the passenger compartment, where the younger officer was carefully examining a small storage area behind the seat.
Then he looked back at her.
“Stolen property.”
“What property?”
“Don't play games.”
She remained silent.
The oldest officer approached from the rear of the car.
“Sergeant, we haven't found anything.”
The sergeant's face darkened.
“Then look harder!”
He turned toward the CEO.
“And wipe that smug look off your face!”
She slowly reached toward the narrow pocket hidden beneath the edge of her white cape.
The officer reacted immediately.
“DON'T MOVE!”
She stopped.
Both hands remained visible.
“I'm taking out my phone.”
“Not until I say you can.”
She looked toward his uniform.
Then toward the police cruiser.
“Your body camera is facing away from the passenger compartment.”
The officer froze.
“What?”
She continued calmly.
“Your partner's camera is covered by his arm. And the camera on your cruiser doesn't appear to have a clear view of the seat you're searching.”
The youngest officer stopped moving.
The sergeant stared at her.
“Are you threatening me?”
“No.”
She glanced toward the handbag lying on the pavement.
“I'm observing.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then the sergeant leaned toward her.
“You have no idea how much trouble you're in.”
She slowly removed her phone.
The officer started forward.
But before he could reach her, she touched the screen.