The response was so direct that Vanessa momentarily looked away.
She turned toward the desk, picked up a folder, and opened it with unnecessary force. Several sheets of paper shifted beneath her hand. She scanned the first page, then the second, although nothing in the folder appeared to have any connection to Daniel's identification.
She was searching for something that would restore her confidence.
Perhaps a report.
Perhaps an instruction.
Perhaps a reason to believe that the badge was not what it appeared to be.
But the folder contained no answer.
She closed it and set it down.
Daniel watched without comment.
Vanessa took a step back toward him.
"Where did you get that badge?"
"It was issued through my agency."
"Which agency?"
Daniel gave her the relevant identification information.
Vanessa listened, but her expression remained skeptical.
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"I expect you to verify it."
"You're avoiding the question."
"No. I have answered it."
"You have given me a name and an identification number. Anyone could memorize a name and copy a number."
"That is why verification exists."
Renee looked toward the phone on the desk.
The opportunity remained obvious.
She could pick up the receiver, contact the appropriate office, and begin the process. If the badge were false, the verification would establish that. If it were genuine, the officers would have the information needed to proceed appropriately.
There was no reason to continue arguing about what someone might have copied or memorized.
Renee took a small step forward.
"Lieutenant, I can contact the verification office if you'd like."
Vanessa turned sharply.
"I did not ask you to do that."
"I understand. I thought it might resolve the question."
"I will decide when this question has been resolved."
Renee stopped.
"Understood."
Daniel glanced toward her, then back at Vanessa.
"There's no need for anyone to take my word for it. The office can confirm the information."
Vanessa pointed toward him.
"Stop trying to recruit my officers to your side."
Daniel's expression changed only slightly.
"I'm not asking them to take sides."
"You're asking them to go behind my back."
"I'm asking for a phone call."
Vanessa's voice rose.
"And I have told you that I will handle this."
Daniel remained seated.
"Then please handle it by verifying the badge."
For a moment, the room seemed to freeze around the sentence.
Ethan looked toward Renee.
Renee kept her eyes on Vanessa.
The lieutenant's face had become flushed, and her jaw was set so tightly that the muscles near her cheek moved when she spoke.
"You have no idea how much patience I have already shown you."
Daniel answered quietly.
"I am not asking you for patience. I am asking you to establish the facts."
Vanessa stared at him.
The fact that he had not raised his voice made the exchange feel even more uncomfortable. She could not point to an outburst, a threat, or a physical movement that justified treating him as dangerous. She could only point to his refusal to accept her conclusion without verification.
And that refusal was precisely what she could not tolerate.
She turned away and walked toward the window.
Through the horizontal blinds, narrow strips of daylight fell across her uniform. She stood with her back to the room for several seconds, apparently trying to regain control of her temper.
Ethan used the pause to look at Renee.
He could tell that she was considering whether to intervene again. He was considering the same thing.
They both knew that challenging Vanessa carried professional risks. She had influence over their assignments, evaluations, and daily working conditions. A disagreement could follow them long after the incident itself had ended.
But the possibility of making her angry was not the same as having a valid reason to remain silent.
Ethan looked at Daniel.
The man remained seated, his hands cuffed in front of him, waiting for a process that should have begun much earlier.
Ethan finally spoke.
"Lieutenant, we can verify the badge without making assumptions about the result."
Vanessa turned from the window.
"What did you say?"
Ethan held his position, though his voice remained respectful.
"I said we can verify it. If the identification is invalid, we'll have that information. If it's valid, we'll know that too."
Vanessa stared at him.
"You think I haven't considered that?"
"I think it would answer the question."
"You think I need you to explain how to do my job?"
"No, Lieutenant."
"Then stop acting as if you do."
Ethan lowered his eyes for a moment, but he did not withdraw the point.