She also noticed that his eyes kept returning to the list of officers.
One name appeared near the top.
JASON MILLER.
The complaint associated with him was not the most serious in the file.
It involved a roadside stop, a disputed search, and a report that had been amended twice.
The complainant had withdrawn the allegation before the review was completed.
At the time, the department had classified the matter as unresolved.
Evelyn had not considered the case conclusive.
But she had not forgotten it.
Now, after the confrontation in the hallway, she had a new incident involving the same officer.
She was not going to assume the two were connected.
She was, however, going to make sure neither disappeared into a filing cabinet.
CHAPTER 3 — THE OFFICER'S VERSION
Jason Miller spent the next forty minutes convincing himself that he had done nothing wrong.
He sat in the small office assigned to patrol supervisors, tapping one finger against his knee.
The corridor confrontation replayed in his mind.
Evelyn Brooks had looked at him as if she could see every thought he was trying to hide.
That irritated him.
He had been a police officer for five years. He had completed his training, handled difficult calls, and worked shifts that left him exhausted. He had been yelled at by intoxicated drivers, threatened by angry suspects, and criticized by people who believed they understood police work better than officers did.
He had learned to respond firmly.
At least, that was how he described it.
He did not think of himself as an angry person.
He thought of himself as someone who refused to be disrespected.
And in his mind, Evelyn had disrespected him by refusing to acknowledge his presence when he called out to her.
He conveniently ignored the fact that he had blocked her path without identifying any operational reason.
He ignored the fact that he had demanded confidential documents without explaining why he needed them.
He ignored the fact that he had threatened consequences when she refused.
Instead, he focused on the way she had looked at him.
Calm.
Unmoved.
Almost disappointed.
He hated that expression.
A knock sounded at the door.
Jason straightened.
"Come in."
Sergeant Laura Bennett entered with a notebook.
She was forty-three, experienced, and known for asking questions that sounded simple until someone attempted to avoid answering them.
"Officer Miller."
"Sergeant."
"Chief Whitaker has asked me to obtain your account of an incident in the administrative corridor this morning."
Jason nodded.
"Of course."
"Please describe what happened in your own words."
He took a breath.
"I was walking through the corridor when Lieutenant Brooks approached. I called out to her because I needed to speak with her."
"About what?"
Jason hesitated.
"I wanted to clarify something."
"What?"
"Her presence in the building."
Bennett looked at him.
"Why did you need to clarify her presence?"
"I thought she was ignoring an instruction."
"What instruction?"
Jason shifted in his chair.
"I called out to her."
"Was that an instruction?"
"I expected her to respond."
"Did you identify an operational reason she needed to stop?"
"Not specifically."
Bennett wrote something down.
"Did you block her path?"
Jason's jaw tightened.
"I stepped in front of her."
"Did she attempt to strike you or push past you?"
"No."
"Did she threaten you?"
"No."
"Did she raise her voice?"
"No."
Bennett looked up.
"Then why did you describe her as confrontational?"
Jason's face reddened.
"She challenged my authority."
"How?"
"She questioned why I wanted to inspect the folder."
"Did you have a reason to inspect the folder?"
"I was trying to determine what she was carrying."
"Was there a security concern?"
"Not that I could identify."
"Did she tell you the folder contained confidential documents?"
"Yes."
"Did you have authorization to inspect them?"
"No."
Bennett closed her notebook.
"Officer Miller, I need you to understand something. You are being asked to describe what happened, not to explain why you believe your behavior was justified."
"I'm doing both."
"Then separate them. Start with what you observed and what you did."
Jason looked away.
Bennett waited.
Finally, he said, "I stepped in front of Lieutenant Brooks. I raised my voice. I asked what was in the folder. She refused to show it to me."
"Did she have a reason to refuse?"
"She said it was confidential."
"Did you have authority to demand it?"
"No."
"Did you tell her she would regret refusing?"
Jason paused.
"I said she was making a mistake."
"Did you say the incident wasn't over?"
"Yes."
Bennett wrote down the answer.
"Anything else?"
Jason looked at her.
"Are you trying to make me sound guilty?"
"No. I'm trying to obtain an accurate account."
"You're asking questions like I've committed a crime."
"I'm asking questions about your conduct."
He stared at her.
Bennett continued.
"If you believe your actions were justified, explain why. But do not change what happened to make your explanation easier."
Jason rubbed his hands together.
"She treated me like I was nothing."
Bennett's expression softened slightly.
"That is how you felt?"
"Yes."
"Did she insult you?"
"No."
"Did she threaten your job?"
"No."
"Did she refuse an instruction that was necessary for an immediate police operation?"
Jason hesitated.
"No."
Bennett closed the notebook.
"Thank you. I'll submit your statement with the incident file."
Jason watched her stand.
"Sergeant?"
She paused.
"Yes?"
"Do you think I'm in trouble?"
Bennett considered the question.
"I think your conduct will be reviewed. What happens after that depends on the evidence and the department's procedures."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only honest answer I can give you."
She left the office.
Jason sat alone.
He had expected Bennett to defend him, or at least to acknowledge that senior officers sometimes behaved arrogantly toward younger ones.
Instead, she had made him confront the one fact he had been trying to avoid.
He had not needed to stop Evelyn Brooks.
He had wanted to stop her.
And when she refused to obey, he had become angry.
His phone vibrated.
A message appeared from Lieutenant Hayes.
Come to my office. We need to discuss this before it gets out of hand.
Jason stared at the screen.
For the first time that morning, he wondered whether the incident in the corridor had been more than a personal disagreement.
He wondered why Hayes was already involved.