Malcolm looked at the phone.
“That still a rule with area codes covering half the state?”
Harlan stared.
Malcolm lifted the receiver.
A red indicator light came on.
He dialed from memory.
The number rang once.
Then twice.
A woman answered.
“Chambers.”
Malcolm said:
“Good afternoon. This is Malcolm Reed.”
Harlan’s posture did not change.
The woman on the other end did.
“Mr. Reed?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
Malcolm looked directly at Sheriff Harlan.
“Red Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.”
Silence.
Then:
“Are you all right?”
“I’m not injured.”
“What happened?”
“I was stopped on Highway 86 at approximately ten forty-two.”
He watched Harlan.
“My driver’s license was physically destroyed by the arresting officer.”
Harlan’s jaw tightened.
Malcolm continued.
“I was then arrested for allegedly driving without valid identification and obstruction.”
“Who arrested you?”
Malcolm paused.
“Sheriff Dale Harlan.”
The woman stopped breathing for a fraction of a second.
Harlan noticed something in Malcolm’s tone.
He stepped closer.
Malcolm continued:
“My truck has been ordered impounded.”
“The sealed Red Mesa materials are still in the locked briefcase inside the vehicle.”
Now Harlan’s face changed.
Small.
But real.
The woman said:
“Has anyone opened it?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Do not consent.”
“I haven't.”
“Are you alone?”
“The sheriff is standing approximately three feet behind me.”
Malcolm looked over his shoulder.
Harlan stared.
The woman on the phone became very precise.
“Mr. Reed, I need you to say the following clearly.”
Malcolm waited.
“You are court-appointed independent monitor Malcolm Isaiah Reed in federal case number 26-CV-1847, assigned by Judge Elaine Harper to review detention, roadside seizure, and evidence-handling practices in Red Mesa County.”
Harlan’s face lost color.
Malcolm did not smile.
“Yes.”
The woman continued:
“And the sealed materials in your vehicle contain witness declarations and original audit documents subject to Judge Harper’s preservation order.”
“Yes.”
Harlan stepped forward.
“Who are you talking to?”
Malcolm held up one finger.
Not disrespectfully.
Simply asking for a moment.
The sheriff stared at it.
The woman on the phone said:
“I am contacting Judge Harper now.”
“Understood.”
“Do not discuss the investigation with anyone there beyond what is required for your immediate legal protection.”
“I understand.”
“Is Deputy U.S. Marshal Bennett with you?”
“No.”
A pause.
“He was scheduled to meet you at one.”
“It is twelve twenty-three.”
The woman’s voice changed.
“He has been trying to reach you.”
“My phone was seized.”
“I’m calling him now.”
“Thank you, Ms. Park.”
Harlan’s mouth opened slightly.
Ms. Park.
Anna Park.
Senior law clerk to United States District Judge Elaine Harper.
The name meant something to him.
Malcolm continued:
“One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“I want immediate preservation of all dispatch traffic, jail video, property logs, CAD records, and any tow communication associated with my stop.”
Harlan stepped closer.
“That’s enough.”
Malcolm looked at him.
The woman heard.
“Mr. Reed?”