The man raised his phone.

"We're buying gas."

"Don't interfere."

"I'm not."

Simone looked at the phone.

The camera lens pointed directly toward them.

She said nothing.

But she remembered his face.

And Keller never noticed.

CHAPTER 3 — THE REPORT

At the station, Keller wrote that Simone had displayed "rapidly escalating hostility."

He wrote that she made a sudden movement toward him.

He wrote that he feared an assault.

Simone read the allegations the next morning.

Jordan Ellis sat across from her.

"Did any of this happen?"

"No."

"Any witnesses?"

"Two people at the gas station."

"Names?"

"I don't know."

"Camera?"

"The man was recording."

Jordan stopped writing.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Security cameras?"

"Probably."

Jordan closed the folder.

"Then we don't argue with Keller's story."

Simone frowned.

"What?"

"We preserve evidence and let his story argue with itself."

That sentence stayed with her.

Hours later they entered Courtroom 6.

Keller saw Simone.

She saw him.

Neither expected the confrontation that followed.

After Keller struck her and ended up on the floor, Judge Lawson recessed proceedings.

Nobody was allowed to delete recordings.

Nobody was allowed to leave without providing contact information if they had witnessed the incident.

Keller was escorted to a separate room.

Simone remained with Jordan.