Maya reached for it carefully with her hands restrained behind her. The angle made the movement difficult. Bennett watched for a moment, then stepped out, opened the rear door, and fastened it for her. "Thank you," she said.
He did not respond. As they drove away, Maya looked through the rear window. The tow truck remained beside the road while the driver secured the Ducati. Ruth stood several yards away, still recording.
Mercer turned in his seat. "You seem very concerned about procedures." "I'm concerned about what is being done in the name of procedure." "You were told the motorcycle required verification."
"My documents match the motorcycle." "Documents can be altered." "So can reports."
Bennett looked briefly at Mercer, then returned his attention to the road. Mercer faced forward. "You should think carefully about what you say at the station." "I already am."
The Monroe County Sheriff's Department stood near the county administrative building, less than 10 minutes from Kingsley Boulevard. Bennett drove through the employee entrance and parked beside the processing area. Mercer opened Maya's door. "Step out."
She complied. Inside, the processing room contained a front desk, several plastic chairs, and two workstations. A wall clock showed 2:18 p.m. Maya noted the time. A desk officer looked up as Mercer brought her in.
"What's the charge?" "Administrative non-compliance during a vehicle verification," Mercer said. The desk officer paused. "That's the charge?"
"It's the hold reason. And the vehicle, possible stolen property. Kingsley has it." The officer looked at Maya. "Name?"
"Maya Williams." Mercer placed her license and registration on the counter. The officer entered the information into the local system. Maya watched his expression change slightly when the search returned a restricted federal identifier. He leaned closer to the screen.
"This record has a limited access flag." Mercer moved beside him. "Can you verify the identity?" "Yes. Name and address match."
"What about occupation?" "I can't open the attached federal record from this terminal." Mercer looked at Maya. "Why is your record restricted?"
"My identity has been verified. That is the relevant issue." He frowned. "That wasn't my question."
"No, it wasn't." The desk officer looked between them. "Do you want her booked or held for questioning?" Mercer took the registration from the counter. "Put her in the interview area."
Maya remained standing. "I want the record to show that my identity and ownership documents have been confirmed." The desk officer hesitated. Mercer answered for him. "The vehicle is still under review."
"Then record both facts." Bennett entered behind them. He had been carrying Mercer's clipboard. Maya saw the detention form. Several lines were still blank.