An error message popped up in a gray box: *External Drive Disconnected. Operation Aborted.*

“Get her out of here,” Arispe ordered, his face tense as he pointed to the second officer.

The officer grabbed Stephanie’s other arm, forcing her hands behind her back as she began to sob.

“You’re hurting me!” she shrieked, her blond hair falling over her face. “Elena, tell them! Tell them to stop!”

I stood my ground, my hands clamped tightly at my sides as I watched her.

“You helped him steal everything I had, Stephanie,” I said, my voice remarkably cold. “You don’t get to ask me for help.”

“She’s hysterical,” Marisol said to Arispe. “Make sure they secure that drive immediately.”

Arispe used a pen from his breast pocket to carefully push the external hard drive into a clear plastic evidence bag.

He did the same with the silver laptop, lifting it by the corners of the plastic casing.

“This is going straight to the digital forensics unit,” Arispe said, sealing the bag with a sharp snap of his fingers.

“Thank you, Officer,” Marisol said.