“My receipt is in my purse.”
Mercer held out his hand.
“Then give me your purse.”
“No.”
His expression changed.
“Excuse me?”
“I will take the receipt out and hand it to you.”
“Give me the purse.”
“No.”
Benton stepped closer.
“Why are you making this difficult?”
Ruth looked at him.
“I’m not giving you my purse.”
“Why not?”
“It contains my wallet, prescription medication, keys, and personal information.”
Mercer sighed theatrically.
“You people always turn a simple question into a constitutional seminar.”
Ruth became very still.
Not because she was surprised.
Because she wanted to remember the exact sentence.
“What people?”
Mercer stared at her.
“You know what I mean.”
“No,” Ruth said. “I’d like you to explain.”
Benton laughed.
“Here we go.”
The rain landed softly against the roof of Ruth’s Buick.
People coming out of the supermarket began watching.
Mercer’s jaw tightened.
“Receipt.”
Ruth slowly opened her purse.
“I am reaching inside for it.”
Mercer grabbed the purse before she could.
Ruth held on instinctively.
“Let go.”
“It is my property.”
“Let go of the bag.”
“No.”
He yanked.
The strap slipped from Ruth’s hand.
The purse fell against his leg.
“Officer Mercer,” she said, “I did not consent to that.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Lady, nobody cares about your little courtroom routine.”
Benton opened the purse.
Ruth stared at him.
“Do not search that.”
He continued anyway.
Wallet.
Keys.
Glasses case.
Prescription bottle.
A photograph of Ruth’s late husband.
Then Benton found the receipt.
He looked at it.
Mercer looked at him.
For one second, neither said anything.
Ruth held out her hand.
“There.”
Benton gave the receipt to Mercer.
Mercer scanned it.
Every item.
Paid.
He should have handed it back.
Instead, he looked toward Ruth’s trunk.
“You got everything in there on this?”
“Yes.”
“How do we know?”
Ruth almost laughed.
“You have the receipt.”
“You could have merchandise underneath.”
“Then ask the store.”
Benton looked toward the bags.
“Let’s just check.”
“No.”
Mercer stepped closer.
“You don’t get to decide how we investigate.”
Ruth looked at him.
“You have no evidence I stole anything.”
“We had a report.”
“From whom?”
“I’m not required to tell you.”
“Was it store staff?”
No answer.
That told her enough.
Later, they would learn the call came from a woman in the parking lot who saw Ruth loading two shopping bags into her trunk while the cart still contained groceries.
She assumed Ruth had left without paying.
She never saw Ruth walk out of the register lane.
She never spoke to store employees.
She simply called police.
But Mercer did not know that yet.
More importantly, he did not bother finding out.
Instead, he reached into Ruth’s trunk.
Ruth moved one step forward.
“Do not touch my groceries.”
Mercer turned sharply.
“Back up.”
“That is my car.”
“Back up.”
“I’m standing beside my own vehicle.”
His hand moved toward her.
Ruth raised both palms.
“I am not threatening you.”
Benton reached into the trunk.
He pulled out the first bag.
Placed it on the wet pavement.
Then another.
Ruth stared.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking.”
“You are putting my food in the rain.”
Benton pulled out the carton of eggs.
Mercer grabbed another bag.
“Maybe next time you’ll cooperate.”
The bottom of one wet paper bag tore.
Cans rolled across the asphalt.
Ruth inhaled sharply.
The flour fell next.
Then milk.
“Stop.”
Neither officer did.
People were fully watching now.
A teenage boy near the cart return lifted his phone.
Benton noticed.
“Put the phone down.”
The boy hesitated.
“You can keep walking.”
The boy did not.
That annoyed Benton.
He turned back toward Ruth.
“Everybody wants to be a lawyer now.”
Ruth said quietly:
“Somebody should know the law.”
Mercer looked at her.
“What was that?”
“I said you should stop.”
Mercer stepped toward her.
“Hands behind your back.”
Ruth stared.
“For what?”
“Obstruction.”
“I have not obstructed anything.”
“Hands behind your back.”
“No.”
Mercer reached for her arm.
Ruth pulled it back reflexively.
That was enough.
He grabbed her wrist.
Twisted it behind her.
Ruth gasped.
Pain shot through her shoulder.
“Do not resist.”
“I’m not resisting!”
He snapped one cuff onto her wrist.
Benton chuckled.