"Yes, I did," Raymond replied simply, his calm presence filling the room without dominating it. He studied her face, noting the marks on her wrists from the handcuffs, but followed her lead in maintaining composure.
Sonya looked up from her laptop, giving them a moment before speaking. "General Brooks, we need to move quickly this morning. Bellhaven PD is already working to control the narrative."
"I'm aware," Raymond nodded, setting his briefcase down. "And please, call me Raymond. We're all on equal footing here." He turned to Evelyn. "This is your fight. Tell me how I can support you."
Evelyn gestured to the papers spread across the room. "We've been mapping out our immediate priorities. The gas station footage is critical. We need to secure it before anyone can suggest technical difficulties with those cameras, too."
"I've drafted preservation letters," Sonya added, holding up a stack of documents. "We need to serve them immediately. Not just to the station, but to dispatch, the department, and any business with security cameras in line of sight."
The door opened again as Clara entered, carrying fresh coffee and a determined expression. "I've got something," she announced, setting the drinks down. "Two witnesses are ready to go on record, including Marcus Webber, a truck driver who was filling up at the far pump."
"What did he capture?" Sonya asked, immediately alert.
"Video and audio from before Rourke even approached Evelyn," Clara explained, pulling up the clip on her phone. "Webber was suspicious of how the officers arrived so quickly, so he started recording early. You can hear Rourke's tone from the start: aggressive, accusatory. There's no evidence of resistance because there wasn't any."
Evelyn watched the small screen, her expression tightening as she relived the moment. Raymond placed a steady hand on her shoulder, but remained silent, letting her process the footage on her own terms.
"This directly contradicts their statement about your behavior," Sonya noted, already making notes. "Webber's willing to sign an affidavit?"
Clara nodded. "He's a regular long-haul driver. No criminal record, no agenda. Just a citizen who recognized injustice when he saw it. He's waiting at the truck stop down the road, ready to make a formal statement."
"We need to move now," Evelyn decided, gathering her belongings. "The gas station opens for morning rush in less than an hour. Once the day starts flowing, it'll be harder to access their systems without interruption."
The group moved with purpose, taking two cars to maintain mobility. Raymond drove Evelyn while Sonya and Clara followed, all arriving at the Bellhaven Gas & Go just as the manager, Tom Whitaker, was unlocking the front doors.
"Mr. Whitaker," Sonya called out, approaching with her credentials ready. "I'm Sonya Vale, legal counsel for Mrs. Brooks. We spoke by phone earlier about preserving your security footage."