For several seconds, Francis said nothing. He remembered Bellamy's position on the lawn and the way the man encouraged Mason to continue instead of de-escalating. "I want the first versions of every statement preserved," Francis said. "Please record that request now."
Cooper acknowledged it, sounding less comfortable than before. He promised that an official report would be available through the records office and ended the call. Francis remained standing beside the couch with the phone in his hand, trying to decide which emotion had become strongest.
Regina rose. "What did they say?" Francis told her exactly what Cooper had relayed, making himself use the actual words rather than substitutes that might soften them. She stared at him.
"Aggressive? You stood there with soap on your arms while he pointed a weapon at you." Francis nodded. "I know."
She walked into the kitchen, retrieved her own phone, and opened the video. "Then they can watch this. Every second." Her voice had become steady in a way that worried him more than tears had.
"A recording doesn't automatically reach the people who need to see it," Francis said. "We have to preserve it properly and document the timeline." Regina moved closer and laid the phone beside his. "Tell me what you need."
They spent the next three hours working at the kitchen table. Regina copied the original video to a computer without editing it, noting the time and the device that made the recording. Francis wrote a detailed contemporaneous account, including Mason's opening statements, the dispatch request, the arrival of backup, the order to kneel, the taser, the grocery store reference, his request to retrieve identification, and the credential verification.
He listed possible witnesses in the order they might have observed events. Mrs. Alden had been outside early enough to see Mason alone, and Harold Price saw the additional cruisers arrive. Caleb recorded the later part, while Father Oscar approached during the credential verification. Regina's video began when she left the house. He also wrote down the positions of Mason, Bellamy, Grayson, and Puren, making sure the record distinguished what each officer said and did.
Around midnight, Regina remembered the dash camera in the sedan. "Would that have recorded anything?" she asked. Francis turned toward the window where the vehicle was parked. "Possibly. It's motion-activated when the car is off.
I haven't checked it since I installed it." He made a note on his list. The system used loop recording, and he was not yet certain how much footage remained or whether the parked-car angle covered the street. He decided not to rely on it until he could examine the actual files, then became distracted by an incoming email from his office about Monday's Hartwell meeting.