"Thank you."
He turned toward Marcus.
"Let's make sure everything is documented."
Whitmore looked increasingly uncomfortable.
"Who exactly is this man?" he asked.
David opened his briefcase.
"Before we discuss that, I believe you should know that Mr. Bennett has an official appointment with the Brookhaven Police Department tomorrow morning."
Whitmore gave a dismissive laugh.
"So?"
David removed a document.
"Tomorrow morning, Mr. Bennett is scheduled to attend a meeting concerning the department's internal accountability review."
Sergeant Collins looked up sharply.
"Accountability review?"
David nodded.
"Yes."
He looked directly at Whitmore.
"And one of the matters scheduled for discussion concerns complaints about unlawful detentions and improper searches."
Whitmore's face lost some of its color.
Marcus watched him quietly.
He had not intended to reveal anything about his work that evening.
But now the situation was becoming impossible to separate from the larger investigation.
David closed the briefcase.
"Mr. Bennett is not merely a visitor to this department. He is one of the external legal advisers appointed to review several outstanding civil rights complaints."
Sergeant Collins looked at Marcus again.
Her expression changed.
"You're the attorney from the independent oversight team?"
Marcus nodded.
"That's correct."
Whitmore stared at him.
For the first time that evening, he seemed unable to find an immediate response.
David continued.
"And considering the circumstances, I believe this encounter will need to be included in the material reviewed tomorrow."
The officer swallowed.
Marcus finally spoke.
"Officer Whitmore, I asked you several times why you stopped me. You never gave me an answer."
Whitmore looked down.
Marcus continued.
"I asked whether I was being detained. You refused to explain the reason. I asked for your badge number. You mocked me. I asked to speak with a supervisor. You told me I wasn't allowed to do so."
He paused.
"I did everything I could to keep this encounter calm."
Sergeant Collins looked at Whitmore.
"Is that accurate?"
Whitmore shook his head.
"That's not how I remember it."
David opened his briefcase again.
"Fortunately, there may be other records."
He glanced toward the convenience store.
"Does this location have security cameras?"
The manager, Robert, had been watching from the entrance.
He slowly stepped outside.
"Yes, sir. We have cameras covering the entire parking lot."
Whitmore immediately turned.
Robert continued.
"The cameras record continuously. The footage is stored automatically."
Olivia stepped beside him, holding her phone.
"And I recorded part of it."
Everyone looked at her.
Whitmore's expression changed dramatically.
"You recorded me?"
Olivia nodded nervously.
"Yes."
"Delete that."
Sergeant Collins immediately intervened.
"Daniel, don't give her instructions. She has the right to preserve what she witnessed."
Olivia held the phone closer to herself.
David looked at her.
"Would you be willing to provide a copy of the recording?"
"Yes," she answered.
"Thank you. Please keep the original file unchanged."
Whitmore looked around the parking lot.
For the first time, he seemed to realize that his actions had not taken place in isolation.
There were witnesses.
There were cameras.
There were records.
And there was a man standing in front of him who understood exactly how those pieces could fit together.
Marcus opened the driver's door.
Before getting inside, he turned toward Sergeant Collins.
"Sergeant, I appreciate your professionalism."
She nodded.
"I apologize for what happened."
Marcus looked at Whitmore one last time.
"I hope tomorrow gives us an opportunity to understand why this happened and whether it has happened to other people."
Then he entered the vehicle.
The engine started.
As the black sedan slowly pulled away from the gas station, David remained standing beside the police vehicles.
He watched the taillights disappear into the darkness.
Then he turned toward Sergeant Collins.
"There's something you should know."
She looked at him.
"What?"
David lowered his voice.
"Tomorrow's review isn't just about one officer."
Collins frowned.
"What do you mean?"
David opened his briefcase and removed a thick folder.
Inside were copies of complaints, witness statements, incident reports, and internal correspondence.
He handed it to her.
"Over the last six months, we've received seventeen complaints involving similar circumstances."
Collins stared at the folder.
"Seventeen?"
"Seventeen documented complaints. Several involve Officer Whitmore. Others involve officers working under the same shift supervisor."
Her expression became serious.
"Does the chief know?"
"He's aware of some of them."
"Some?"
David nodded.
"That's the problem."
He looked toward the direction in which Marcus had driven away.
"Mr. Bennett was appointed to determine whether these incidents represent isolated misconduct or something much larger."
Collins slowly opened the folder.