“Completely unnecessary,” Lindsay said firmly. “I told you she was ready to walk outside.”

Carter waved for them to lower their guns as he slipped a pair of handcuffs from his belt and reached for Hope’s arm to pull her into a standing position. “You’re Hope Miller, to be clear?”

Hope looked to Lindsay for guidance. She nodded. Lindsay was confident it was the only question she would be answering.

Carter cuffed Hope’s wrists in front of her and signaled that she could resume her position in the armchair. “I want to be clear you’re not under formal arrest, but the law gives me the authority to restrain you under the circumstances while we execute a search warrant of this property pursuant to judicial authorization. You want to back me up on that, Ms. Kelly?”

“Actually, you have the right to keep her from leaving, but the right to use handcuffs isn’t automatic.”

“As I’m aware, Counselor. It’s based on the individual facts of the case, which is why your client is cuffed quite comfortably with wrists in front and sitting in a nice cozy chair instead of the back of a patrol car. Any other accommodations we can make?”

“The law gives you the right to keep me from leaving as well, but are you going to handcuff me too?” She knew it wasn’t even a close call. She wouldn’t be cuffed, but that wasn’t her real concern.

He told the other officers to begin searching. “I also have the authority to tell you to leave the premises while we search, which I’m officially using.”

It was the decision she was hoping for, but she wasn’t going to let him know that. “I’m her lawyer.”

“Which she has a right to during custodial interrogation, but she’s not in custody, and I’m not questioning her. There’s no right to counsel during the execution of a search warrant—as I’m sure you know.”

She grabbed her laptop and reached for her purse on the sofa as she started to leave, but he held up a hand.

“I’m going to need to search the purse before you take it.”

“Your warrant is for the premises. That doesn’t allow you to search me.”

“Not your person. But as to any container on the property? For all we know, that belongs to her.” He gestured toward Hope.

Carter was more knowledgeable of the constitutional rules than she would have expected. “To represent my client, I need my phone. My driver’s license too, unless you’re detaining me. And I have notes in there as well, which are covered by attorney work product privilege.”

“And you’re welcome to take all of it with you once I give a quick look. You’ll consent to that?”