Mercer looked toward Ruth again, then walked several yards away and pulled out his private phone. Noah stayed beside Maya. “I didn’t know,” he said quietly. Maya looked at him. “You knew the identification was valid.” Noah said nothing. “You knew he damaged it.” He looked toward Mercer. “Yes.” “That part mattered. Before you knew who I was.” Noah lowered his eyes. Mercer spoke quietly into the phone. “Boone, I have a problem.” He listened. “No. Not a vehicle problem.” Another pause. “Federal.” His eyes remained on Maya. “No, she hasn’t been booked.” He listened longer this time. Then his posture changed. “What?” Noah tried to hear the response. Mercer turned away. “I understand.” He ended the call. Noah approached him. “What did he say?” “Nothing you need to worry about.” “I think I do.”
Mercer returned to the Harley and placed Maya’s credentials and the sealed file inside his patrol bag instead of returning them to her. Noah stared at him. “What are you doing?” “Securing evidence.” “That is not evidence.” Mercer picked up his radio. Noah stepped closer. “Are we taking her to the station?” Mercer pressed the transmit button. “Dispatch, clear the roadside contact. No further enforcement action required.” Noah looked at Maya’s cuffs. Then he looked at the tow truck. The loading equipment was still positioned beneath the Harley. “Clear it?” Noah asked. “She is still in handcuffs.” Mercer did not respond. “And the motorcycle is still being taken.” Mercer removed his hand from the radio. Noah lowered his voice. “If the stop is over, why are we still holding her?” Mercer looked directly at him. “Because Sergeant Boone said she is not going to the station.” Noah’s expression hardened. “Then where is she going?” Mercer glanced at Maya before answering. “Somewhere we can figure out how much she knows.” Noah took a step back. “There is no we in this.” Mercer pointed toward the cruiser. “Get in the car.” “No.” Mercer stared at him. Maya remained silent. Mercer picked up the radio again and confirmed that the roadside contact had been cleared from dispatch. Noah looked from the radio to Maya. “If the system says this is over, why are we still here?” Mercer returned the radio to his belt. “Because the system only knows what we put into it.”
The tow driver secured the Harley onto the flatbed while Mercer kept Maya beside the patrol cruiser. Noah remained a few feet away, watching everything with growing concern. “This isn’t county procedure,” Noah said. Mercer did not look at him. “It is now.” “You cleared the stop.” “I cleared the radio traffic.” “That is not the same thing.” Mercer finally turned. “You need to decide whether you are going to keep questioning me in front of a detainee.” Maya spoke calmly. “You just said I was a detainee.” Mercer looked at her. “You also told dispatch there was no further enforcement action,” Maya continued. “Which one are you documenting?” Mercer stepped closer. “You need to stop talking.” Maya did. The tow driver finished tightening the straps and walked back toward the cab. “County storage?” he asked again. Mercer shook his head. “Not the main lot.” The driver paused. “Where then?” Mercer gave him an address. The driver’s expression changed slightly, but he did not question it. Noah heard the location. “That is not a county impound facility.” Mercer looked at him. “It is an authorized holding location.” “No. It is a private tow yard.” Mercer opened the rear door of the patrol cruiser. “Get in, Maya.” She did not move immediately. “Am I under arrest?” Mercer stared at her. “Get in.” “That did not answer the question.” Mercer leaned closer. “You can sit in the car voluntarily, or I can document that you refused a lawful instruction.” Maya looked at Noah. He did not say anything. She stepped into the back seat without resisting. Mercer closed the door. Noah stood beside the cruiser for a moment. “Wade, if we are not booking her, we should not be transporting her in cuffs.” Mercer walked around to the driver’s side. “You want to stay here?” “No.” “Then get in.” Noah took one last look at the tow truck before entering the passenger seat. The two vehicles left the roadside stop together. Maya sat quietly in the rear seat and watched through the window. They passed the main road toward the sheriff’s office and did not take it.