"Mrs. Brooks," Keats said, adopting a diplomatic tone as the cell door swung open. "I want to personally apologize for this unfortunate misunderstanding. We'll have you out of here immediately."
Evelyn stood slowly, her movements deliberate. "A misunderstanding?" she repeated, her voice level, but carrying an edge that made Keats shift uncomfortably. "Is that what we're calling unlawful detention now?"
"The situation escalated unnecessarily," Keats offered, gesturing toward the corridor. "I assure you we can correct any paperwork and resolve this quickly."
"The paperwork?" Evelyn's gaze was steady. "Will correcting paperwork erase the spectacle of my arrest at that gas station? Will it undo Officer Rourke's false charges? Or perhaps it will magically make everyone forget watching me being handcuffed without cause?"
From a speakerphone in Keats' office, General Raymond Brooks' voice carried through the open door: "Chief Keats, I want to be absolutely clear: my wife will not be pressured into quietly accepting what's happened here."
Keats glanced toward her office where the conference call with Washington remained active. "General Brooks, I understand your concern. We're working to—"
"You don't understand yet," Raymond interrupted, his calm tone carrying decades of command authority. "But you will. A civil rights attorney, Sonya Vale, is already en route to your station. I suggest you ensure all evidence is properly preserved until she arrives."
Officer Rourke burst into the holding area, his face flushed. "Chief, I can explain everything. The vehicle matched—"
"Matched what, exactly?" Evelyn turned to face him. "The registration and insurance were in order. My federal credentials were valid. What exactly justified your actions?"
Rourke's mouth opened and closed, but no coherent defense emerged. The documents found in Evelyn's car had demolished his claims of suspicious activity or vehicle theft. His earlier certainty crumbled under her direct gaze.
Keats watched the exchange with growing dread. She had seen enough internal affairs cases to recognize when a situation was spiraling beyond containment.
"Lieutenant," she called to Wade, who hovered nearby. "I want all body camera footage from Officers Rourke and Halverson preserved immediately. Get me the dispatch recordings and any security footage from the gas station as well."
"Already done, Chief," Wade replied quietly. "The state oversight office called. They were... insistent about proper evidence preservation."
The fluorescent lights continued their merciless humming as Keats led Evelyn toward the booking area to process her release. Each step echoed with the weight of consequences neither Rourke nor the department had anticipated an hour ago.
"Your personal effects are being gathered," Keats said, trying to maintain professional courtesy. "Your vehicle will be brought around front."