OFFICER MILLER: "You seem very pleased with yourself."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I'm pleased that the evidence will be reviewed."
OFFICER MILLER: "You still haven't explained why we should believe you."
DANIEL BROOKS: "You don't need to believe me without evidence. You need to investigate what happened."
Sergeant Lewis glanced at Miller.
SERGEANT LEWIS: "That's enough. Let the review proceed."
Miller fell silent.
A short time later, the radio on the supervisor's shoulder crackled.
Sergeant Lewis listened carefully, asked for the information to be repeated, and then turned toward Daniel.
SERGEANT LEWIS: "The initial credential verification has returned a positive result. Your federal credentials appear to be valid, and additional confirmation is being coordinated through the appropriate authorities."
Ryan's eyes widened slightly.
Miller remained still.
DANIEL BROOKS: "Thank you for confirming that."
SERGEANT LEWIS: "We are not finished reviewing the incident. Your status and the evidence issue are separate matters, and both need to be handled correctly."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I agree."
Miller shook his head.
OFFICER MILLER: "A valid credential doesn't explain the substance."
SERGEANT LEWIS: "Nobody said it did. We will establish the facts through the investigation."
OFFICER MILLER: "Then we should proceed with the original report."
SERGEANT LEWIS: "We will proceed with a complete and accurate report, including your account, the passenger's account, the available recordings, and the evidence-handling records."
The supervisor's answer left little room for further argument.
Ryan appeared relieved that the incident was finally being handled through a formal process. Miller, however, looked increasingly frustrated.
Daniel remained calm.
He had not expected his credentials to replace an investigation, and he had never claimed that they should.
His position had been consistent from the beginning: the substance needed to be examined, the events needed to be documented, and the people involved needed to account for their actions.
Now those questions were finally being addressed.
Sergeant Lewis asked the officers to step away from the inspection table while the security operations employee recorded the condition of the suitcase and its contents.
The evidence bag remained in place.
The employee photographed the relevant items, documented their positions, and recorded the time at which the evidence was secured for further examination.
Daniel watched without interfering.
When the initial documentation was complete, Sergeant Lewis turned to him.
SERGEANT LEWIS: "Mr. Brooks, we will need a formal statement from you about what happened during the inspection."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I will provide one."
SERGEANT LEWIS: "Please include the sequence of events as you remember them, without speculation about matters you did not personally observe."
DANIEL BROOKS: "That's exactly what I intend to do."
Miller gave a small, dismissive laugh.
OFFICER MILLER: "This is becoming a much bigger matter than it needs to be."
Sergeant Lewis looked directly at him.
SERGEANT LEWIS: "The seriousness of an incident is determined by the facts, not by how inconvenient the review becomes."
Ryan lowered his eyes.
Miller said nothing more.
The security operations employee finished recording the initial details and stepped away from the table to contact the appropriate team responsible for reviewing the footage.
Daniel finally closed his suitcase after being told that the initial documentation of its condition was complete. He did so carefully, making no sudden movements and following the supervisor's instructions.
The encounter had begun with Miller holding up a transparent bag and declaring that the substance had been found in Daniel's luggage.
Now the same bag was being treated as evidence whose origin still needed to be established.
The difference was significant.
A claim had been made.
A denial had been recorded.
And the investigation could no longer rely solely on the confidence of the person who had made the accusation.
Sergeant Lewis asked Miller and Ryan to remain available for separate statements. He also instructed them not to discuss their accounts with one another while the initial review was underway.
Miller objected.
OFFICER MILLER: "We're partners. We need to coordinate our report."
SERGEANT LEWIS: "You can provide your individual accounts first. Any necessary coordination of administrative details can happen later, in accordance with procedure."
OFFICER MILLER: "That seems unnecessary."
SERGEANT LEWIS: "It's a precaution intended to preserve the independence of each account."
Ryan nodded.
OFFICER RYAN: "Understood, Sergeant."
Miller stared at the younger officer, then looked away.
Daniel noticed the exchange but did not intervene. The supervisor had established a process, and Daniel intended to let it operate.