"Hold, please." A minute later, Dugan answered, "Captain Dugan." Evelyn sat straighter.
"Captain, I recorded part of what happened. I thought someone might need a copy." Dugan's tone changed immediately. "Yes, ma'am, we absolutely do.
Do you still have the original phone?" "Yes, I'd like you to bring it to the station tonight so we can preserve the evidence properly." Evelyn looked at the phone. "You need the whole phone for chain of custody.
That would be best. I can bring you a copy tomorrow morning. I'd prefer the original tonight. Something about the speed of his answer bothered her.
I don't think I'm comfortable handing over my phone tonight. Mrs. Brooks, if that recording is evidence in an active investigation, "I understand what evidence is, Captain. I spent 35 years documenting things people later argued about," Dugan stopped. Evelyn continued politely.
"I'll make a copy and bring it in tomorrow." Before he could press further, she ended the call. Dugan remained at his desk with the receiver in his hand. He looked through the glass wall toward Mercer.
Come in, Mercer entered and shut the door. Dugan asked. Did you delete the original dash camera footage? Mercer hesitated.
There wasn't anything useful on it. That isn't what I asked. Mercer looked away. Yes.
Who saw it before you deleted it? Me. Dugan waited. Mercer finally added.
Maybe Bennett. Dugan looked through the office window toward Noah, who was working quietly at the evidence computer. Then he turned back to Mercer. From now on, nobody remembers the original version.
Mercer understood exactly what he meant. The roadside stop was no longer the problem they were trying to explain. Now they were protecting the story they had created about it.
A little after 10:30, Dugan returned to the interview room with a thin folder under his arm. He no longer carried the legal pad he had used earlier. This time he brought a printed document and placed it face down on the table before taking the chair across from Maya. You've been here long enough, he said.
Maya looked at him. I agree. Dugan gave a brief nod. Then maybe we can stop making this more complicated than it needs to be.
I haven't made it complicated. You were stopped with restricted internal review files in your vehicle. You refused to explain where they came from. My deputy made decisions based on what he had in front of him.
Your deputy broke nearly every window in my car before he knew those files existed. Dugan paused. I'm not here to argue about the roadside. Then why are we here?
To resolve it. He turned the document over and pushed it across the table. Maya did not touch it immediately. Dugan continued.
You signed that. We finished processing. Return your personal property and release you tonight. What exactly am I signing?
Read it. Maya pulled the document closer. The language was formal but simple enough. It stated that she acknowledged receiving the personal property listed at intake.
It also said she was not aware of any irreplaceable property being lost while in departmental custody and had no immediate complaint regarding the handling of seized material. She read the second page. Another paragraph stated that she accepted the release of the Bentley subject to normal impound procedures and acknowledged that electronic evidence collected during the incident might have been unreadable or damaged before intake. Maya looked up.