And started the engine.
For a moment, she remained motionless.
Her pulse quickened.
She remembered the courthouse square.
Then she took a slow breath.
She backed out of the garage.
And drove.
There was no destination.
She traveled along familiar Atlanta streets, crossed a tree-lined parkway, and stopped for coffee.
At the café, an older woman complimented the car.
"It's beautiful."
The investigator smiled.
"Thank you."
"Must be wonderful to drive."
She looked toward the midnight-blue vehicle.
Then answered honestly.
"I'm learning to enjoy it again."
The woman smiled.
"Well, you should. It's lovely."
The investigator thanked her.
Then continued her morning.
It was a small step.
But it mattered.
She wasn't going to allow the deputies to take away every pleasant memory associated with her aunt's car.
They had damaged the vehicle.
They didn't get to decide what it meant to her forever.
The county reached a civil settlement with the investigator after the relevant claims and evidence were reviewed through the applicable legal process.
The terms addressed documented property damage, physical harm, and other supported losses.
The agreement did not erase the incident.
Nor did it replace the separate administrative or criminal proceedings.
The investigator insisted that her attorney explain every provision before she signed.
She wanted the matter handled carefully.
Her professional role made it particularly important that the civil resolution remain separate from her official investigative responsibilities.
When the paperwork was complete, she sat in her attorney's office looking at the final documents.
The attorney leaned back.
"How do you feel?"
She considered the question.
"Relieved."
"Good."
"But not satisfied."
The attorney nodded.
"That's understandable."
She looked toward the window.
"The car is fixed. My shoulder is better. The deputies are gone."
She paused.
"But there are people who lost their vehicles and couldn't afford to fight."
The attorney studied her.
"You're still thinking about the towing cases."
"Yes."
"Those reviews are continuing."
"I know."
She looked down at the settlement documents.
"I just don't want my case to become the one everyone remembers while the others disappear."
The attorney remained quiet.
Then said something she hadn't considered.