The officer's fingers tightened around the evidence bag, and for a moment he seemed uncertain whether to put it down or continue holding it.
Ryan noticed the hesitation.
OFFICER RYAN: "We should leave the evidence where it is until we know what the next step is."
Miller slowly lowered the bag onto the table.
OFFICER MILLER: "Nobody asked you to supervise this."
OFFICER RYAN: "I'm not trying to supervise you."
OFFICER MILLER: "Then stop acting like it."
Ryan stepped back again.
Daniel watched the exchange without moving. He could sense that the balance between the two officers was changing, although neither man was willing to acknowledge it openly.
The radio crackled once more.
Miller lifted it to his shoulder and listened. His expression became difficult to read as the person on the other end requested further confirmation.
OFFICER MILLER: "Understood. We'll wait for the verification."
He released the button and lowered the device.
Daniel looked at him.
DANIEL BROOKS: "What did they say?"
OFFICER MILLER: "That's not your concern."
DANIEL BROOKS: "It concerns me if you're deciding what happens to me based on information you're unwilling to verify."
OFFICER MILLER: "The verification is underway."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Then we'll wait."
The simple answer appeared to frustrate Miller more than an argument would have.
He had expected Daniel to become impatient, perhaps to demand immediate release or threaten to report the officers. Instead, Daniel seemed entirely willing to remain at the table while the facts were checked.
That left Miller with fewer opportunities to portray him as unreasonable.
A few seconds passed.
Ryan glanced toward the security camera again.
This time, Miller noticed.
OFFICER MILLER: "Why do you keep looking at that camera?"
OFFICER RYAN: "I'm checking the area."
OFFICER MILLER: "You can check the area without staring at the ceiling."
Ryan's expression tightened.
OFFICER RYAN: "It's a security checkpoint. Cameras are part of the area."
Daniel said nothing, but his attention moved briefly between the two officers.
Miller turned toward him.
OFFICER MILLER: "You seem very interested in our cameras too."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I'm interested in an accurate record of what happens here."
OFFICER MILLER: "You think the cameras are going to prove something?"
DANIEL BROOKS: "I think the footage should speak for itself."
Miller's mouth tightened.
He looked toward the ceiling, then back at Daniel.
OFFICER MILLER: "You don't know what those cameras recorded."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Neither do you, unless you've reviewed the footage."
The answer left Miller with nothing immediate to say.
Ryan lowered his gaze again.
For the first time, Daniel noticed that the younger officer seemed less concerned about the passenger than about what might be visible on the recordings.
The distinction was subtle, but it mattered.
Miller reached for his radio once more.
OFFICER MILLER: "Control, I need confirmation that the relevant surveillance footage is being preserved."
He paused to listen.
OFFICER MILLER: "Yes, the footage covering the secondary inspection table."
Another pause followed.
OFFICER MILLER: "Understood."
He lowered the radio and looked at Daniel.
OFFICER MILLER: "The footage will be reviewed if necessary."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Good."
OFFICER MILLER: "Don't assume that means you're in the clear."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I haven't assumed anything."
OFFICER MILLER: "You seem awfully confident."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Confidence isn't evidence, Officer. Neither is suspicion."
Miller turned away with an irritated expression.
The airport continued moving around them. A boarding announcement echoed from the terminal speakers, and a group of passengers passed the inspection area while keeping a cautious distance from the officers.
Daniel's suitcase remained open on the stainless-steel table.
His identification wallet was now closed in his hand.
The transparent evidence bag sat between the two sides of the inspection area, a small object that had somehow become the center of an increasingly serious confrontation.
Miller looked at it once more.
Then he looked at Daniel.
OFFICER MILLER: "We're going to need you to come with us while we sort this out."
Daniel did not move immediately.
DANIEL BROOKS: "Where do you intend to take me?"
OFFICER MILLER: "To the airport police office."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Am I under arrest?"
Miller hesitated.
OFFICER MILLER: "We're investigating a suspected narcotics incident."
DANIEL BROOKS: "That wasn't my question."
OFFICER MILLER: "You need to come with us."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Then state clearly whether I'm being detained or arrested, and on what basis."
Miller's expression hardened again.