Grant photographed the log entry as Davidson completed it. Ensuring an independent record of the documentation. The facility manager then placed new tamper seals across all access points of the Ferrari, signing and dating each one with witnesses present. Officers Roark and Mercer, you are hereby barred from unsupervised access to this vehicle, Davidson announced. Any future examination requests must go through proper channels with neutral oversight.
Roark's face darkened with fury, but he couldn't argue with impound facility policy. He threw the screwdriver into his equipment bag and stalked toward the exit, his boots crunching angrily on the gravel. Mercer hesitated looking back at the Ferrari with obvious anxiety. This is getting out of hand, he muttered to Grant. None of this was supposed to happen.
What exactly was supposed to happen, Officer Mercer? Grant asked quietly. But Mercer had already turned away following his partner toward the gate with reluctant, heavy steps. For the first time, visible distance had opened between the two officers who had arrested Marissa together. Marissa watched them leave, noting how Mercer lagged several paces behind Roarke, and avoided looking back at the Ferrari they could no longer control.
The next morning brought a crisp autumn breeze that rattled the windows of Marissa's home office as she spread the federal preservation documents across her desk. Grant sat across from her, his expression grim as he organized the stack of papers into chronological order. "23 luxury vehicle stops in the past 18 months," Grant said, sliding the first batch toward her. "All handled by Lieutenant Voss's unit. All following the same basic pattern. " Marissa picked up the top report and began reading.
The document described a traffic stop involving a black woman driving a white Mercedes-Benz convertible. The initial radio call mentioned "suspicious vehicle movement" in an upscale shopping district. The woman was detained for suspected auto theft until dispatch confirmed her ownership. Then the charge shifted to obstruction of justice when she questioned why the stop continued after verification. "Look at this language," Marissa said, pointing to a specific paragraph.
"The subject became verbally aggressive and attempted to use her alleged ownership status to intimidate responding officers. " Grant nodded. "Now look at page four of your report. " Marissa flipped through her own arrest paperwork until she found the matching section. The wording was nearly identical. "The subject became verbally aggressive and attempted to use her judicial position to intimidate responding officers. " "They copied and pasted," she said, her voice flat with controlled anger. "It gets worse. " Grant handed her another file.
This one involved a black man with a Porsche. Same location, same officers, same outcome. Look who signed as the witnessing officer. Marissa scanned the signature line. Dean Mercer.
And here's another with a Lexus. Grant placed a third report in front of her. Primary officer Travis Roark. Supporting officer Dean Mercer. Same supervisor, Wade Voss.
The pattern emerged with sickening clarity as they worked through the stack. Every stop began with an assumption of theft. Every driver produced legitimate ownership documents. Every case transformed into obstruction charges when the drivers questioned the continued detention. The vehicles remained impounded for weeks while their owners paid escalating storage fees just to recover property that already belonged to them.