Among other recent footage, Vivien confirmed. Out on the porch, Hutchkins shifted his weight, restless. Lieutenant, how long does this take? It's just a recording box. Patience, Sergeant, Voss said.
C unbothered. But something in his tone caught Norah's attention. A faint signal she couldn't quite place. She'd have time to think about that signal later. Plenty of time.
Because that's when Hutchkins moved. He lunged past Voss without warning, straight toward the security cabinet, hands already reaching for the device. "Hey, " Vivien stepped directly into his path. "You're exceeding the scope of the order, " she said, planting her feet, refusing to give ground. Hutchkins tried to shove past her.
Boyd surged through the doorway behind him, grabbing Vivien from behind, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to pull her out of the way. Norah moved before her mind fully caught up with her body the same way it had the night before. She stepped in, gripping Boyd's elbow and wrist in one smooth motion, forcing his hands open, forcing him to release her sister. "Officer Boyd, remove your hands, " she said, holding the lock steady without causing injury. Let go of me.
Boyd snapped, trying to twist free and failing. When you stop grabbing my sister. Doyle pushed his way past the tangle of bodies, positioning himself between Hutchkins and the cabinet. Sergeant, the order doesn't authorize this. We need that evidence.
Hutchkins growled, reaching around Doyle toward the recorder. Anyway, his elbow caught the edge of the cabinet mid-reach. The recorder tilted on its mounting shelf, balanced for one impossible second, and then dropped. It hit the hardwood floor and split open on impact. Circuit boards scattered across the entryway.
The steady blinking lights flickered once, then went dark. For a moment, nobody in that doorway said a single word. Voss's expression shifted into something close to satisfaction. Quiet and quick, gone almost before it registered. Well, he said, "That's unfortunate.
Looks like your recording system's been damaged. " Hutchkins stepped back from the broken housing, breathing hard. A strange grim kind of relief settling over his face. Boyd rubbed his arm where Norah had controlled him, glaring at both sisters like they'd somehow orchestrated their own equipment breaking. Vivien knelt beside the shattered recorder, gathering a few loose pieces like she was checking for anything salvageable.