“My wallet is in my back pocket. May I get it?”
“Hands on the hood.”
Sam obeyed.
That was when the teenager began filming.
Her name was Talia Brooks.
Seventeen.
She had come to the shopping center with two friends who were still inside buying drinks.
She had no idea what was happening.
That made the video interesting.
She held the phone vertically.
“Yo, this dude getting arrested.”
A few viewers joined her live feed.
Twenty.
Then sixty.
A man in a dark suit paused nearby.
His name was Gregory Mills.
He sold commercial insurance.
He had no connection to either man.
He saw the officer.
Saw Sam.
Saw the Lexus.
And created his own explanation.
Probably stolen.
Derek heard Talia narrating.
He straightened.
Sam noticed the change.
The performance had begun.
Derek spoke louder.
“This vehicle was reported stolen.”
Sam turned his head slightly.
“That is not possible.”
“Face forward.”
“I’ve owned it six years.”
“That’s what everybody says.”
“You already ran the plate.”
Derek did not answer.
“Did it come back stolen?”
“Don’t tell me how to do my job.”