Her body wanted to sprint.
Twenty-three years of federal training overruled it.
Document first.
Preserve.
Identify.
She raised her phone.
Recorded the cruiser number.
Captured Derek.
Captured Sam.
Captured the surrounding witnesses.
She zoomed enough to see the officer’s name.
HOLLOWAY.
Recognition followed.
Patricia knew the name.
Not personally.
Professionally.
Six months earlier, Daniel Cole had quietly asked her opinion about patterns in civilian complaints when they met at a criminal justice conference.
He had not revealed confidential case details.
He did not need to.
Patricia had heard enough through public records and community attorneys to know one officer’s name appeared too often.
Derek Holloway.
Sam was now inside his cruiser.
Patricia opened her contacts.
First message.
To their attorney.
SAM ARRESTED AT WESTBROOK PLAZA. POSSIBLE CIVIL-RIGHTS ISSUE. CALL ME.
Second.
To Daniel Cole.
HOLLOWAY JUST ARRESTED SAM. WESTBROOK PLAZA. I HAVE VIDEO.
Third.
To her podcast producer, not for publication yet.
I MAY NEED STREAM INFRASTRUCTURE. STANDBY.
Then Patricia walked toward the Lexus.
Sam’s phone lay near the driver’s door.
Screen cracked.
Still lit.
She did not pick it up immediately.
She photographed it where it lay.