As we neared the front door of the house of the sorority I caught a glimpse of motion as the drapes fell back into place. I smiled as I had seen Janet herself at that corner second story window. I spoke to the cops with me.
“Officer Davis I want you to stay with Miss Smith as Officer Horner and I collect the evidence. Keep her secured in the living room, if you want to question her, don’t my orders are that she is not to be interrogated until she is back at headquarters. Remember she will likely try to convince you to let her go and that this is a mistake. I know because this is my first solo case that she is guilty.”
At the door I paused and hitched the shoulder bag a little higher then pressed the button for the doorbell. My other hand removed the ID folder from the inside jacket pocket.
After a delay of about two minutes the door opened and Janet Smith stood before me.
Though it was cliché I had to go through the forms of the arrest. “Miss Janet Smith?” at her little nod I continued with the formal mantra, “I am Special Agent Nick Jones FBI. You are under arrest for violations of the USA PATRIOT act, the Johnson act, Aiding and Abetting domestic terrorist organizations as well as plotting to commit Cyber warfare against the Government of the United States . You have the right to remain silent…” I watched her eyes as I recited the Miranda rights, reading it off one of the cards issued to all law enforcement officers in America.
Once I was through I cuffed her hands behind her and then had her sit on the couch. I then took Davis with me to her room and gathered the” evidence” and bagged it all in the evidence bags I had brought.
The evidence was her diary, her computers, her tablet, all electronic devices and any other papers. The process took several hours as I did everything by the book, literally, I had read several books that were part of the FBI Academy’s coursework. Once through I went back into the living room. By this time several of the other residents of the sorority had come and gone. This part might be working out better than I had planned for.