Yet the matter at reception remained unresolved. Derek was still on duty, still wearing the uniform that gave him authority over the entrance, and still visibly resentful that the incident had moved beyond his control.
When Captain Bennett turned toward his office, he paused and addressed Derek one more time.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Miller, I expect your full cooperation with Sergeant Collins. If you remember anything relevant, include it in your formal account. Do not approach Agent Hayes to discuss this incident."
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "Understood, sir."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Good. Wait until you're called."
Derek remained by the reception counter as the captain and Victoria moved down the corridor. The lobby gradually resumed its routine, but the ordinary sounds of phones, keyboards, and footsteps no longer concealed the fact that something serious had happened.
At the far end of the hallway, Sergeant Collins returned from the administrative office with a message on her phone. Her expression had changed. She walked directly toward the captain's office, knocked once, and waited for him to look up.
SERGEANT LAURA COLLINS: "Captain, I've received confirmation from the records technician. The lobby system was operating during the period we're reviewing."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Is the recording available?"
SERGEANT LAURA COLLINS: "The file is available for review. The technician is preparing the access record so we can document who retrieves it."
The captain set down his pen.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Then let's review it through the proper process."
Sergeant Collins nodded and glanced through the open doorway toward reception, where Derek stood motionless beside the counter.
SERGEANT LAURA COLLINS: "There's one more thing. The appointment record confirms that Agent Hayes's visit was expected. I'm still waiting for the office to send the original confirmation, but the scheduling entry is already in the system."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Add that to the file. We will compare the records with the statements, and we will not draw conclusions until we've examined the evidence."
SERGEANT LAURA COLLINS: "Understood."
The captain rose from his chair and reached for his jacket.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Let's get the recording."
Neither of them knew yet whether the footage would answer every question. It might show the entire confrontation clearly, or it might leave gaps that required additional witness accounts. But the decision to review it had already changed the balance of the situation. Derek's version would no longer be the only account available to the department, and the people who had witnessed the incident would have an opportunity to describe it independently.
Back in the lobby, Victoria waited near the administrative corridor while the captain and sergeant prepared to review the footage. Her expression remained calm, but her attention sharpened when she saw them emerge with the technician's access record.
Derek noticed them, too.
For the first time since Captain Bennett had entered the precinct, Derek did not offer another explanation. He stood beside the counter, watching as the captain walked toward the security office with Sergeant Collins at his side.
The review was about to begin, and whatever it revealed would have to be addressed through the official process.
The security office was quieter than the lobby, filled with the low hum of computer equipment and the occasional click of a keyboard. A wall of monitors displayed different areas of the Westbridge Police Precinct, including the front entrance, the reception counter, and the corridor leading toward the administrative offices.
Captain Richard Bennett stood behind the technician's chair while Sergeant Laura Collins reviewed the access record. Neither spoke until the correct recording had been located and its timestamp confirmed.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Start a few minutes before Agent Hayes entered the building. I want the sequence from the beginning, not just the moment the argument escalated."
SECURITY TECHNICIAN: "Understood, Captain."
The technician opened the recording and adjusted the playback speed. On the monitor, the lobby appeared exactly as it had earlier that morning. Officers crossed between the entrance and the hallway. A visitor approached the reception desk. Ethan Brooks sat behind the counter, checking the computer.
Then Victoria Hayes entered.
She wore the same charcoal-gray blazer and black trousers she had been wearing when she spoke to the captain. Her long dark-blonde braids fell over her shoulders, and her expression was composed as she approached the desk.
The technician paused the footage.
SECURITY TECHNICIAN: "This is the point where she arrives. The timestamp matches the appointment window."
SERGEANT LAURA COLLINS: "Continue."
The footage showed Victoria speaking to Ethan before Derek Miller approached from the side of the lobby. The two officers exchanged a few words with her. Victoria reached into her bag and presented her identification.
Derek examined it briefly.
Then he handed it back.
The technician continued the recording.
For the next several minutes, the footage showed an increasingly uncomfortable exchange. Derek spoke with animated gestures. Victoria remained near the reception counter, repeatedly indicating the telephone and then the badge she had presented. Ethan watched from behind the desk.