Tyler looked toward the hospital bag in the passenger footwell.
“What’s in that?”
“Shoes.”
“Anything else?”
“My lunch container.”
“Medication?”
“No.”
Maya rubbed her forehead.
“Officer, I’m sorry, but why are we doing this?”
“You were found unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle.”
“Asleep.”
“I’m establishing that.”
“The engine is off.”
“I can see that.”
“My keys are right there.”
She pointed toward the cup holder.
Tyler looked.
“Yes.”
“And I told you I pulled over.”
“Yes.”
“Then what do you need?”
That was when tone entered.
Not hers.
His interpretation of hers.
Tyler straightened.
“I need you to follow instructions while I make sure you’re not impaired.”
Maya stared.
“I’m impaired by being tired.”
“Step out of the vehicle.”
Her face changed.
“Why?”
“Because I asked you.”
The moment the words left his mouth, his body camera recorded them.
Later, Tyler would listen to that sentence more times than he wanted.
Because I asked you.
Not because I observed you driving.
Not because you committed a traffic violation.
Not because I smell alcohol.
Not because I found drugs.
Because I asked you.
Maya opened the door.
Slowly.
She stepped out.
Her knees nearly buckled.
Tyler moved one hand instinctively toward her elbow.
She caught herself against the car.
“There.”
he said.
“There what?”
“You’re unsteady.”
“I have been standing for sixteen hours.”
“You said seventeen.”
“The shift was seventeen.”
“I sat maybe forty minutes total.”
Tyler looked at her.
“You’re changing your story.”
Maya stared.
“No.”
“My shift was seventeen hours.”
“I wasn’t literally standing every minute.”
Tyler said nothing.
Maya felt anger push through fatigue.
“You are looking for something now.”
“I’m doing my job.”
“So am I.”
“You’re not at work.”
“I just left it.”
Tyler pointed toward the front of his cruiser.
“Walk over there.”
Maya obeyed.
Her steps were slow.
The pavement seemed softer than it should have.
Tyler turned on his flashlight despite the parking-lot lights.
“Look at me.”
She did.
He watched her eyes.
Maya blinked.
Then blinked again.
The flashlight hurt.
“Follow the light.”
She tried.
Her gaze lagged once.
Tyler saw it.
Another fact added to the story.
“What did you take?”
Maya’s expression changed.
“I already answered you.”
“Your eyes aren’t tracking normally.”
“My eyes are exhausted.”
“Medical professionals have access to medications.”
There it was.