The complaints had not all been substantiated.
But they raised concerns.
Outgoing Sheriff Merrick had recently ordered a review of the department’s vehicle-stop procedures.
That review was one reason Camille wanted to observe the agency carefully after taking command.
She didn’t expect to become part of a troubling encounter before her first official day.
When Voss spotted her Bentley turning onto Magnolia Ridge Drive, he became suspicious.
He had never seen the car in the neighborhood.
He noticed its dark tinted windows and expensive appearance.
He also saw a Black woman behind the wheel.
Instead of treating those observations as ordinary facts requiring no enforcement action, he began constructing a story.
He decided the car might be stolen.
Then he followed Camille until she parked.
He activated his emergency lights.
And approached before she had finished turning off the engine.
“Whose car is this?”
Camille looked up.
“Mine.”
“Registration.”
She provided it.
“License.”
She provided that, too.
Voss examined the documents.
Then looked toward the Bentley.
He wasn’t satisfied.
Not because the paperwork was inconsistent.
But because the woman standing before him didn’t fit his assumptions about who should own a car that expensive.
Chapter 4: The Registration He Refused to Believe
Camille stood beside the Bentley while Voss examined her documents.
“Where’d you get this car?”
She answered calmly.
“I purchased it through a licensed dealership.”
“Which dealership?”
She provided the name.
“When?”
“Last year.”
Voss frowned.
“What do you do for a living?”
Camille looked at him.
“Is that relevant to the registration check?”
The deputy’s face hardened.
“Just answer the question.”
“I work in law enforcement.”
Voss laughed.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Camille paused.
“That can be verified through the appropriate channels.”
Voss shook his head.
“Everybody’s got a story.”
He walked toward the front of the Bentley.
