At 7:45 on Monday morning, the fictional Westbrook Police Station was beginning another busy day.
Officers moved through the halls while phones rang and radios quietly crackled in the background.
A Black woman in her early forties entered the station carrying a slim black personnel folder.
Her name was Maya Carter.
She wore a dark navy command uniform, polished shoes, and a simple wristwatch.
Nothing about her appearance suggested that this was her first day as the station's newly appointed police chief.
She walked toward the command office.
Before she could reach the door, Officer Ryan Cole stepped into her path.
Ryan had worked at the station for several years.
He knew the routines.
He knew the senior officers.
And he believed he understood how the station operated.
He looked Maya up and down.
"Can I help you?"
Maya remained calm.
"I need to get inside."
Ryan gave a short laugh.
"That office isn't yours."
Maya looked directly at him.
"Are you sure?"
Ryan folded his arms.
"I'm the one in charge here now."
Maya became completely still.
She studied him for several seconds.
Ryan interpreted her silence as uncertainty.
He had no idea that the woman standing in front of him had been appointed to lead the entire station.
And Maya had not yet decided whether to correct him immediately.
Ryan pointed toward the hallway.
"I said I'm the boss here."
Maya slowly looked at him.
"You're the boss?"
Ryan scoffed.
"Someone has to be."
Maya took one controlled step forward.
"And you decided that someone was you?"
"Exactly."
Ryan pointed toward the door.
"So move."
Maya paused.
Then she calmly placed her personnel folder on the nearby desk.
Ryan glanced at it.
"What is that?"
Maya looked at him.
"Your first mistake."
Ryan frowned.
"My mistake?"
Maya nodded.