"Nobody touches anything," she said. "Everyone stays where they are while I contact my supervisor."
Mercer recovered enough of his confidence to point toward the photograph. "You need to tell me why you're carrying pictures of my deputy."
"No, Sheriff," Simone said. "I need to make sure you don't interfere with evidence in an ongoing federal investigation."
She withdrew her phone slowly, showing the movement before she made it. Mercer watched her thumb touch a saved contact. He was accustomed to making calls that brought people running to him, and for a moment he seemed unable to accept that the same privilege might belong to the woman he had just ordered around. Simone kept her statement brief and factual. She gave the location, identified the three county officers present, reported the forced entry into the SUV, and requested immediate assistance.
"Who are you calling?" Mercer demanded.
"The federal team waiting three blocks away."
Keller made a small sound and looked toward his cruiser. Simone saw the calculation moving through his face: a nearby support team meant she had not been alone, and a planned evidence transfer meant the contents of the vehicle were not random property. If he ran, every camera and every witness would record it. If he stayed, he would have to listen to questions he had spent months trying to avoid. He remained in place, but his feet turned slightly toward the road.
Less than two minutes later, two unmarked federal SUVs entered the street and pulled in behind the county vehicles without blocking civilian traffic. Four agents stepped out and took in the positions of the sheriff, the deputies, and the open cargo compartment before approaching. The team moved with the controlled caution of people who wanted no misunderstanding about their purpose. Supervisory Special Agent Marcus Reed walked directly toward Simone, his expression composed but concerned.
"You good?" he asked.
"I'm fine. The rear lock was forced. The evidence remains in place as far as I can see, but I need the seals checked and the entire scene documented."
Reed glanced at the damaged mechanism, then at Mercer. "That's unfortunate."
"This is my jurisdiction," Mercer snapped. "I don't know who you people think you are, arriving here and acting like we committed a crime."
"You are entitled to explain what happened," Reed replied. "You're not entitled to handle the evidence while we sort it out."
He did not raise his voice. That appeared to frustrate Mercer even more than a confrontation would have. The sheriff looked toward Keller as though expecting him to support the story they would tell, but Keller's attention was fixed on the photograph. Daniel Price stood several steps apart, one hand near his radio and his body camera still recording. He had the expression of a man who was trying to keep every detail in his memory because he suspected someone would later insist it had happened differently.