“Major General Sarah Reynolds.”
Brenda removed her glasses.
“One moment, sir.”
She covered the receiver.
Ryker kept speaking to Miller.
“Put that she became verbally aggressive after being advised—”
He glanced over.
“What?”
Brenda heard the change in her own voice.
So did Miller.
“There’s a colonel from the Pentagon asking to speak with Major General Sarah Reynolds.”
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Miller looked toward the holding corridor.
Ryker stared at Brenda.
“The Pentagon.”
“Which Pentagon?”
Brenda almost asked him how many he thought existed.
Instead she said, “Washington.”
Ryker’s face emptied.
Miller whispered, “Jesus.”
Ryker crossed the room and took the phone.
“This is Sheriff Thomas Ryker.”
Colonel Hart did not introduce himself again.
“Sheriff, do you currently have Major General Sarah Reynolds in custody?”
Ryker looked toward the booking officer.
Then down the corridor.
“We have a Sarah Reynolds.”
“What lawful grounds do you have for holding the general?”
The room changed.
Sarah could not hear the words from cell four, but she could hear the silence that followed them.
Ryker turned away from the desk.
“She was arrested during a traffic investigation.”
“On what charge?”
“Disorderly conduct. Resisting. Reckless driving.”
“Was she injured?”
“Has she been given access to counsel?”
Ryker’s mouth opened.
Brenda watched him decide how to answer.
“She’s being processed.”
“That did not answer my question.”
Ryker looked at Brenda.
She did not help him.
Colonel Hart’s voice remained level.
“Sheriff, General Reynolds was scheduled for a secure Department of Defense briefing four minutes ago. Her government device was last active before her traffic stop. We have verified that her rental vehicle is under your department’s control. You will preserve all property associated with her detention.”
Ryker straightened.
“Now, hold on. You don’t give orders to this office.”
“I am not directing your law-enforcement decisions.”
“Sounds like you are.”
“I am telling you that United States government property may be in your evidence room, and I am placing you on notice that destruction, alteration, or unauthorized access to that property may create federal issues separate from whatever local charges you believe you have.”
Ryker looked toward the sealed property bag.
The black case sat inside.
His face lost a shade of color.
Colonel Hart continued.
“I also need to speak with General Reynolds.”
“She can’t take outside calls yet.”
“She’s in custody.”
“Sheriff, is she prohibited from speaking with counsel?”
Ryker lowered his voice.
“You people calling from Washington don’t know what happened out there.”
“Then preserve the recordings.”
Miller looked at his chest.
Brenda saw it.
So did Ryker.
Colonel Hart said, “Every body-camera file, vehicle-camera file, dispatch recording, booking-area recording, holding-area recording, property log, radio transmission, and report connected to this event should be preserved in its original form.”
Ryker’s fingers tightened around the receiver.
“You threatening me?”
The answer came immediately.
“I am making sure nothing disappears because people later disagree about what happened.”
Brenda looked at Miller again.
The deputy swallowed.
Ryker said, “I need to verify who you are.”
“You should.”
Hart gave him a main Pentagon switchboard number, an office extension, and a callback verification procedure.
Ryker wrote none of it down.
Brenda did.
When the call ended, Ryker set the receiver down carefully.
Nobody spoke for a moment.
Then Ryker pointed at Miller.
“Office.”
Miller followed him.
The sheriff closed the door.
Brenda looked toward cell four.
The booking officer said quietly, “Is she really a general?”
Brenda replaced her glasses.
“Apparently.”
Inside the office, Ryker shut the blinds.
“What did she tell you?”
Miller blinked.
“At the stop.”
“Nothing about being military.”
“What did you see in the car?”
“Normal stuff. Purse. Bag. That black case.”
“You open anything?”