But by the week of the courthouse incident, investigators had identified a particularly important set of documents.
A county records technician had discovered duplicate versions of several impound authorizations.
The originals appeared to contain information that differed from copies supplied during an earlier review.
That discrepancy could be explained innocently.
Or it could demonstrate that someone had modified records after the fact.
The investigator needed to examine the originals, confirm their custody history, and compare them with independently preserved electronic data.
A meeting had been scheduled at the Hawthorne County courthouse.
The silver-haired captain knew about the appointment.
So did a limited number of county officials.
The investigator was supposed to arrive shortly before eleven.
She had been instructed to bring her credentials and a sealed inventory of the records she'd already obtained.
Her vehicle contained a locked professional document case with copies of certain authorized materials.
The originals remained under controlled custody elsewhere.
She had no intention of transferring anything to sheriff's deputies in the parking area.
Her appointment was with the county records custodian and the designated state liaison.
The car was simply transportation.
But someone in Hawthorne County had apparently decided it was something else.
The investigator had not chosen her yellow dress to attract attention.
She had spent the previous evening attending a family celebration outside Atlanta.
The dress had been purchased for that occasion.
It was elegant, expensive, and perfectly suited to a pleasant outdoor gathering.
The following morning, she had a short personal appointment before traveling to Hawthorne County.
She decided not to return home to change.
Her work didn't require a uniform.
Her position depended on credentials, legal authority, and professional conduct—not clothing.
She understood that people sometimes made assumptions when they saw a young Black woman dressed fashionably.
She had dealt with those assumptions before.
At professional meetings, strangers occasionally mistook her for an assistant.
At hotels, she had been asked whether she worked for the event staff.
Once, a security guard refused to believe she was scheduled to speak at a government conference until another official recognized her.