Position of vehicles.
Maya turned toward Doss.
“Your body camera.”
He instinctively covered it with one hand.
Marcus noticed.
“Don't touch it.”
Doss froze.
Maya said:
“Neither camera appeared active during the stop.”
Marcus looked at both deputies.
“That's convenient.”
Keller became angry again.
“You people can't just roll into county jurisdiction and—”
Maya looked at him.
He stopped.
Not because she raised her voice.
Because for the first time he understood that the woman standing before him was not merely someone with influence.
She was the person ultimately responsible for the federal investigation already surrounding his department.
She extended one hand toward Marcus.
“My credentials.”
“They're in the passenger bag.”
Marcus opened the damaged door carefully.
Found the handbag.
Maya directed him to the inner pocket.
He removed the black leather credential wallet.
Then handed it to her.
Maya opened it.
Held it toward Keller.
Not triumphantly.
Not theatrically.
Simply long enough for him to read.
His face drained.
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Director.
The gold badge caught afternoon light.
Doss whispered:
“Oh, God.”
Maya closed the wallet.
“No.”
she said quietly.
“This part is not your biggest problem.”
Keller stared.
Marcus looked at her.
Maya continued:
“You stopped me because you believed the vehicle was suspicious.”
“Yes.”
Keller said quickly.
“That is all.”
Maya nodded.
“Good.”
His expression brightened slightly.
She continued:
“Then you won't mind us reviewing the computer query showing when the plate was run, what response was returned, whether any theft alert existed, who entered any alert, and whether either of you communicated with dispatch before deciding I was driving a stolen vehicle.”
Keller’s face tightened.
Maya looked toward the damaged windshield.
“And because the vehicle was legally registered to me, you will explain why Deputy Doss intentionally struck the windshield with a metal tool.”
Doss said:
“I was inspecting the VIN.”
“With two impacts?”
“It was necessary.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“It wasn't.”
Doss swallowed.
Maya continued:
“You also kicked off a mirror.”
“I was checking—”
“Stop.”
Her voice remained quiet.
He stopped.
“Do not invent explanations while federal agents are collecting evidence.”
Silence.
Marcus approached her.
“Director, we need to move you.”
“Not yet.”
“Maya.”
Only a few people in the Bureau called her that during operations.
Marcus was one.
He lowered his voice.
“If these deputies are part of the investigation, your presence just contaminated everything.”
Maya looked at him.
“They contaminated it before you arrived.”
“That doesn't make this safer.”
“I know.”
“Then get into the SUV.”
She exhaled.
He was right.
She hated that.
“Two minutes.”
Marcus looked ready to argue.
Then nodded.