The rancher’s expression shifted. The slight annoyance melted away into a sharp, calculated calm. He had let her dig her own grave, and now it was time to hand her the shovel.
In one swift, fluid motion, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his black smartphone. He raised it to eye level, turned it horizontally, and pointed the camera directly at her face.
"Good," the rancher said, a slight, victorious edge to his voice. "Say that again for the camera."
The moment the camera lens focused on her, the smugness vanished from the woman's face, instantly replaced by wide-eyed panic. Realizing she had just been recorded threatening to illegally sell a man's property, her false bravado shattered.