Ethan looked at Derek. It was a quick glance, but everyone noticed it. Derek's jaw tightened, and he gave the younger officer a look that had previously been enough to silence him.
Captain Bennett noticed that, too.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Officer Brooks, look at me."
Ethan turned back toward the captain.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "You are not being asked to defend another officer. You are being asked to describe what you observed. Start at the beginning."
Ethan swallowed. His hands rested flat on the counter, his fingers spread as if he needed the solid surface to steady himself.
OFFICER ETHAN BROOKS: "Agent Hayes arrived and asked to speak with someone about a scheduled meeting. Officer Miller told her to wait. She showed him her badge, and he said he wasn't going to take orders from her."
Derek interrupted immediately.
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "That's not what I said."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "You will have your opportunity. Let him finish."
Ethan took a breath.
OFFICER ETHAN BROOKS: "She asked him to call a supervisor. He refused. They argued, and then Officer Miller grabbed her braids. He took her badge and threw it into the trash."
For a moment, the lobby seemed to lose all its background noise. Ethan had spoken quietly, but his account was unmistakable.
Derek stared at him.
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "You need to be careful about what you're saying."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "That sounded like a warning. Was it intended as one?"
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "No, sir. I was just saying he needs to remember the situation correctly."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Then let him remember it without your assistance."
Ethan lowered his eyes briefly, but he did not withdraw his statement.
Victoria watched him with a restrained expression. She understood that speaking honestly in front of a superior could carry consequences, especially when the person being contradicted had more seniority and a reputation for making life difficult for those who challenged him.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Officer Brooks has described what happened. There may also be camera footage."
The captain looked toward the black security camera mounted above the entrance.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "There should be."
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "Captain, the lobby camera doesn't always capture everything clearly. The angle is limited."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "We can determine what it captures after we review it."
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "Of course, sir. I'm only explaining that there could be context missing."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Then the footage can provide that context."
Derek nodded, but his face had grown tense. He glanced once more at the camera, then toward the hallway leading to the administrative offices. The entrance he had used to command the room now seemed like a possible escape route, although he remained where he was.
Captain Bennett stepped closer to the reception counter.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Ethan, preserve the footage from the lobby covering Agent Hayes's arrival through my arrival. Do not overwrite it, edit it, or send it to anyone who has no authorization to receive it."
OFFICER ETHAN BROOKS: "Yes, sir."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "And make a note of the time range. I want the original recording retained according to procedure."
OFFICER ETHAN BROOKS: "Understood."
Derek cleared his throat.
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "Captain, with respect, I think we're making this much bigger than it needs to be. Nobody was seriously hurt. The badge is right there. We can retrieve it, apologize for the confusion, and get back to work."
Victoria turned her head toward him.
VICTORIA HAYES: "You are describing the condition of the badge as though that is the only issue."
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "I didn't say that."
VICTORIA HAYES: "You suggested that retrieving it would resolve what happened. It would not."
OFFICER DEREK MILLER: "What exactly do you want from me?"
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Miller."
The warning in the captain's voice stopped Derek from continuing.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "You do not get to dictate the seriousness of an incident simply because you would prefer it to disappear."
Derek pressed his lips together. A flush had spread across his face, and he seemed to be struggling to decide whether to remain defensive or adopt a more respectful tone.
The captain looked at Victoria again.
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Agent Hayes, I apologize for what has occurred in this lobby. This is not how a visitor should be treated, and it is certainly not how a representative of another federal agency should be treated."
VICTORIA HAYES: "I appreciate the acknowledgment. I would prefer that we establish the facts before anyone makes assumptions about what should happen next."
CAPTAIN RICHARD BENNETT: "Agreed."
The answer appeared to surprise Derek. He had perhaps expected Victoria to demand immediate punishment, allowing him to portray her as unreasonable. Instead, she had asked for the facts to be established, a request that left little room for him to dismiss the incident as a personal disagreement.