"Hello."
"Mrs. Walker?"
"Yes."
"My name is Mark. I'm assisting with a review of an incident you witnessed this afternoon near the Ashford roadside stop."
Ruth sat straighter. "What agency are you with?"
There was a short pause. "I'm working with the people reviewing the incident."
"That wasn't what I asked."
The man changed his tone slightly. "We understand you recorded video at the scene."
Ruth looked at her phone. "How did you get my number?"
"We're contacting witnesses before material from the incident creates confusion."
"What confusion?"
"The situation involved an active vehicle investigation. A short recording can sometimes present events without the necessary—"
"I was there from before the motorcycle was loaded."
"We understand."
"Then what context am I missing?"
The man did not answer directly. "What we need is the original video file so it can be reviewed properly. We would also ask that you avoid distributing additional copies until the matter has been examined."
Ruth was quiet for a moment. "What is the incident number?"
Another pause. "I don't have that in front of me."
"Then give me the name of the investigating officer."
"That information is still being coordinated."
Ruth looked at the frozen image on her phone. Maya stood in handcuffs beside the Harley while Mercer faced the motorcycle. "You called me about a police incident, but you don't know the incident number or who is investigating it."
"Mrs. Walker, I'm trying to make this easy for everyone."
Ruth's expression changed. "I worked in a hospital for thirty-eight years. When somebody told me they were calling about a patient, I asked for a name and date of birth before I said anything. If they couldn't give me that, the conversation ended."
"This is different."
"No, sir. It isn't."
The caller became firmer. "You should understand that interfering with an active investigation can create legal complications."
"I'm not interfering."
"Posting material publicly could be viewed differently."
"I didn't say anything about posting it."
The man stopped speaking. Ruth now understood that he did not know what she had done with the video.
She continued. "If a government agency wants my recording, someone from that agency can contact me and identify themselves properly."
"Mrs. Walker—"