The leather interior contained small fragments of glass.
The driver's door bore minor marks from the baton.
And the elegant paintwork near the window had been scratched.
She had owned the Rolls-Royce for less than a year.
It was the last major gift her aunt had left her.
Now it had become evidence in an investigation involving people who seemed to believe their uniforms gave them permission to damage whatever they wanted.
She sat on the edge of her bed and removed her shoes.
Her feet ached.
Her shoulder hurt.
And her yellow dress had a faint mark near the side seam where the younger deputy's hand had caught the fabric.
She stared at the mark for a long time.
Then her phone rang.
It was her mother.
The older woman had seen a news report.
"Baby, are you all right?"
The young investigator closed her eyes.
"I'm okay."
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Tell me you're okay when your voice sounds like that."
The younger woman swallowed.
Her mother continued.
"I saw the video."
Silence.
Then her mother asked, "Did they hurt you?"
"My shoulder is sore."
"Did you see a doctor?"
"Yes."
"Good."
The young woman looked toward the window.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then she whispered, "Mom, they didn't even check the registration."
Her mother remained silent.
"They just saw me standing next to the car and decided I couldn't own it."
The words came faster now.
"I offered my ID. I offered the papers. They kept saying I was lying."
Her voice broke.
"And then one of them started smashing it."
Her mother exhaled shakily.
The investigator pressed a hand against her forehead.
"I've reviewed cases like this. I've read complaints. I've interviewed people who said officers wouldn't listen."
She swallowed.
"But standing there..."
Her voice disappeared.
Her mother waited.
Finally, the young woman whispered, "I kept thinking that if I moved the wrong way, they'd make everything worse."
The older woman's voice softened.
"I'm sorry, baby."
For the first time that day, the young investigator began crying.
She cried because she'd been frightened.
Because she'd been humiliated.