Kyle Reic's patrol car came up fast with its lights and siren on crowding the smoke. Reic climbed out and stroed to the driver's door. He did not look at Mia's face. Maya. His attention went straight to the center console between the two seats.
License and registration. Now Maya handed him her license, registration, and insurance card. Reic snatched the documents, barely glanced at the personal information, and tossed them onto the passenger seat. His eyes remained fixed on the fitted panels surrounding the center display. "Turn off the engine and step out of the car."
"What is the reason for the stop, Officer Reic?" Maya asked. Her voice was cool and even. I don't have to debate procedure with you on the side of the road. "Get out.
The dispatch log says you stopped me because my license plate was unreadable." Maya said, meeting his eyes. The plate is clean. You held my license for less than a second, and you have not stopped looking at that console. Reic lowered his face toward the open space above the window.
You enjoy explaining the law, don't you? Let's see how tough that mouth stays when I tear apart that electronic compartment. My hands are visible on the steering wheel, Maya said clearly. I will comply with the order to leave the vehicle. I am not resisting, but I do not consent to a search of any part of this car.
Stand on that yellow line. Don't touch your phone. He pointed toward a painted line directly within view of the patrol car's dashboard camera. Maya stepped out slowly and took her place where he had directed her. Her cream colored coat moved lightly in the roadside breeze.
She kept her hands at her sides and watched him without speaking. Reic pressed the radio button on his shoulder. Dispatch, subject Maya Williams is resisting through attitude, avoiding questions, and showing signs of concealing an illegal electronic interference device. I'm conducting an emergency inspection. He released the button before dispatch could answer and pulled open the McLaren's door.
Maya remained on the yellow line, studying him as he leaned into the cabin. She memorized every false phrase he had just inserted into the department's recording system. Reic ignored her handbag on the passenger floor. He did not open the front luggage compartment or examine the space behind the seats. Instead, his fingers moved along the narrow seam surrounding the center screen.
He pressed the lower trim, tested the edge of the control housing, and ran his thumb beneath the panel beside the console. He was not searching for something that could have been anywhere. He was checking places in a particular order. Maya turned her head slightly toward the patrol camera. For the record, officer Reic began searching before dispatch confirmed any electronic alert.
I have not given consent. Reic looked over his shoulder. You think talking to the camera makes you untouchable? No, Maya said. It makes the sequence harder to change.
Traffic continued behind them. A delivery van slowed as it passed. Near the pharmacy across the boulevard, an older couple stopped beside a dark pickup. The man glanced toward Maya, then toward Reic's uniform. His wife touched his arm, and they climbed into their truck without interfering.
Maya understood their hesitation. Most people did not know whether stepping closer would help or give an officer another reason to expand the scene. By the time a stranger decided what courage required, an official report could already be describing the situation in completely different language. Reic pushed against another panel and muttered under his breath. Maya heard the plastic shift but not release.
You brought no tools, she said. He straightened. What? You expected the compartment to open by hand. It didn't.
Reic stepped away from the car and faced her. You seem awfully interested in what I expected. You announced an illegal device before examining the vehicle. Now you are trying to reach a specific compartment instead of conducting a general inspection. That is not interest.
It is observation. his jaw tightened. "Tell me what you do for a living. My occupation has nothing to do with the condition of my license plate. It might explain how you paid for this car. The registration already establishes legal ownership."
Redic glanced toward the passenger seat where the documents remained untouched. Maya continued, "You could confirm that by reading the papers you threw down. He moved closer to the yellow line, but stopped a few feet away. You're making this harder than it needs to be. No, officer.
I am standing exactly where you ordered me to stand. You are the one changing the reason for the stop. The radio on his shoulder crackled. Unit 12, confirm the basis for emergency inspection. Reic answered without taking his eyes off Maya.
Behavioral indicators and visible signs of electronic modification. Maya looked past him at the McLaren. From where Reic had first approached, the console had been visible only through tinted glass. The panel he was now calling modified remained closed and perfectly fitted," she said. "Nothing was visible until you opened my door."
Reick ignored her and returned to the cabin. He pushed harder against the lower panel, then searched along the edge for a release point. His movements grew less controlled each time the trim refused to come loose. Maya watched the frustration spread across his shoulders. He had expected quick access.
That meant someone had not only told him what to find, someone had probably told him where it was. "Who gave you the location?" She asked. Reic froze with one hand beneath the display. For the first time since the stop began, he looked at Maya as though he had finally noticed her rather than the car.
You should be careful about the accusations you make. I asked a question, and I told you to stand there quietly. You told dispatch I was concealing an electronic device before you touched the console. You skipped every other compartment and went directly to this one. Either you are guessing with remarkable accuracy or someone sent you here with instructions.
Reic withdrew from the car and pressed his radio again. Sergeant Mercer, I need you on Riverstone. Possible restricted device in a high value vehicle. A calm male voice answered almost immediately. Have you opened the lower panel?