The evidence containing Amaya's broken phone and hair ties had disappeared.
But Amaya remembered the sound.
The buzzing clippers.
And Rourke's voice.
“Your attitude ends when I say it ends.”
Simone had never forgotten those words.
She had no idea she would hear them again that same evening.
Directed at her.
The Flash Drive
Earlier that night, Simone had met Daniel Cho at a diner three blocks from the station.
Cho was an internal police auditor who had quietly collected dispatch records showing unexplained gaps between arrests and official booking.
Several detainees had entered Twelfth District without appearing in the system for nearly two hours.
Cho believed those missing hours were being used to pressure people before their arrests became official.
He slid a plain white envelope across the table.
Inside was a flash drive.
“If this disappears,” Cho said, “they'll claim the records never existed.”
Simone placed the envelope inside her emerald blazer.
“Who knows you copied them?”
“Someone in Records.”
“Rourke?”
“I don't know.”
Simone looked at him.
“Then assume he does.”
They left separately.
Simone walked toward the parking garage.
Then she saw the delivery driver.
Two officers had him pressed against his van.
Rourke stood behind him.
Bell searched the vehicle.
The driver kept insisting that his registration was inside the glove compartment.
Simone stopped.
She pulled out her phone.
And started recording.
Rourke noticed immediately.
“Move along.”
“I'm standing on a public sidewalk.”
“This is an active investigation.”
“I'm not interfering.”
“Put the phone away.”
“No.”
Rourke stepped toward her.
“I gave you a lawful order.”
“You gave me a preference.”
His hand shot toward her phone.
Simone pulled it away.
That was enough.
Rourke twisted her arm behind her back.
“Obstruction,” he announced.
Simone identified herself.
He barely looked at her credentials.
“Anyone can buy a badge online.”
Bell examined the credential wallet.
“Caleb, this looks real.”
Rourke knocked it from his hand.
“She’s trying to intimidate us.”
Simone was placed in the patrol car.
She watched through the window as Rourke removed something from the delivery driver's pocket and handed it to Bell.
Ten minutes later, the driver was released.
Simone was taken to the station.
What Rourke didn't know was that her phone had already uploaded the recording to secure storage.
And Daniel Cho was waiting for her confirmation call.
When she didn't call, he contacted State Attorney Evelyn Price.