His face emptied.
The First Twin spoke quietly.
“You verified my license.”
The Captain said nothing.
“You verified the registration.”
Nothing.
“The VIN.”
Nothing.
The First Twin looked toward the broken module in the puddle.
“Then you destroyed federal evidence after being warned not to touch it.”
The Captain found his voice.
“You set this up.”
The Second Twin shook his head.
“No.”
“You put that device there.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted us to find it.”
“No.”
The Second Twin looked toward the crushed Rolls-Royce.
“We hoped you wouldn’t.”
The Lead Federal Agent approached.
He stopped beside the younger officer.
“Bodycam still running?”
“Yes.”
“Do not turn it off.”
She nodded.
The Captain looked toward the agents.
Then at the twins.
“What exactly is this?”
The Second Twin answered.
“Seven months.”
The Captain stared.
“What?”
“Seven months of vehicle seizures.”
“Towing records.”
“Auctions.”
“Missing evidence.”
“Cash discrepancies.”
The Captain’s face hardened.
“You’re accusing me of corruption because I searched a suspicious car?”
The First Twin looked at the destroyed Rolls.
“No.”
The Second Twin pointed toward the younger officer.
“She already told you the ownership was clean.”
“You continued anyway.”
The Captain looked toward her.
Betrayal entered his face.
She noticed.
So did everyone else.
He said:
“You don’t know what was on that device.”
The Second Twin almost smiled.
“You think the recorder was the evidence?”
The Captain’s eyes moved toward the puddle.
The First Twin shook his head.
“It was a transmitter.”
Silence.
“Everything already left the car.”
The Captain’s jaw tightened.
The First Twin continued.
“Audio.”
“Video.”
“Vehicle telemetry.”
“Impact data.”
“Your search.”
“The warnings.”
“The destruction.”
The Second Twin looked toward the federal SUVs.
“Copies reached an evidence server before you smashed the casing.”
The Captain stared at the ruined device.
For the first time, it looked useless in the wrong direction.
He had not destroyed evidence against the twins.
He had destroyed his own defense.
The younger officer lowered her eyes.
Rain intensified.
The Lead Federal Agent approached the Captain.
“Step away from the vehicle.”
The Captain did not move.
“Captain.”
Still nothing.
The First Twin watched him.