At 3:30 p.m., Daniel Mitchell was sitting in the break room with two other officers.
He had been unusually quiet all afternoon.
His earlier confrontation with Captain Hayes had spread through the precinct faster than a routine dispatch alert. By lunchtime, almost everyone knew what had happened.
Some found it amusing.
Others believed Mitchell had simply made an honest mistake.
But the most uncomfortable part was that nobody could deny what he had said.
Officer Parker leaned against the counter.
"So, how's the new captain?"
Mitchell looked up.
"Fine."
"Just fine?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Parker shrugged.
"Nothing. I was just asking."
Another officer, Kevin Brooks, chuckled.
"Maybe you should start memorizing the command roster."
Mitchell gave him an irritated look.
"Very funny."
Parker raised his coffee cup.
"To the new commander."
"Can we talk about something else?"
The room fell quiet.
Mitchell stood, threw away his empty cup, and walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he glanced through the glass partition.
Victoria was standing beside Detective Reed, reviewing documents.
Something about the scene irritated him.
She had arrived that morning without knowing the department's routines. Now she was questioning cases that had been handled by experienced officers for years.
He considered that dangerous.
Not because the questions were necessarily wrong.
But because they challenged people who had spent years building their positions.
He returned to the bullpen.
Lieutenant Bennett was standing outside his office.
"Mitchell."
"Sir?"
"Come inside."
Mitchell followed him.
Bennett closed the door.
"I heard about your little introduction this morning."
Mitchell felt his face grow warm.
"Yes, sir."
"Not your finest moment."
"I misunderstood the situation."
Bennett studied him.
"Did you?"
Mitchell frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Captain Hayes is here to conduct an operational review. She's already been asking questions about several cases."
Mitchell leaned forward.
"She started reviewing files on her first day?"
"Apparently."
"That's unusual."
Bennett gave him a thin smile.
"Not necessarily. But we should be careful about how we respond."
Mitchell nodded.
"Of course."
Bennett opened a drawer and removed a folder.
"How many unresolved cases do you have?"
"Fourteen."
"That's too many."
"I've been trying to get assistance."
"Then perhaps you should organize them differently."
Mitchell looked at the folder.
"What is that?"
"A case summary. I want you to review it before tomorrow's briefing."
Mitchell opened it.
The first page concerned an investigation involving Sentinel Protective Services.
He recognized the company.
It had appeared in several of his assigned reports.
"Why am I reviewing this?"
"Because Captain Hayes may ask questions."
Mitchell turned a page.
"Some of these cases aren't even assigned to me."
"I know."
"Then whyโ"
Bennett interrupted.
"Because I want you familiar with the history before someone starts drawing conclusions."
Mitchell looked confused.
"Are there problems with the investigations?"
Bennett's expression hardened.
"There are always problems when people don't understand the full picture."
He leaned back.
"Listen carefully. Hayes may be your commanding officer, but that doesn't mean she understands this precinct yet. She's going to make decisions based on whatever documents people put in front of her."
Mitchell said nothing.
"Your job is to make sure the facts are presented accurately."
"Understood."
Bennett pushed the folder toward him.
"Good. And Mitchell?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Don't repeat every conversation you hear."
Mitchell frowned.
"Of course."
Bennett smiled.
"Excellent."
When Mitchell returned to his desk, he opened the folder again.
Something bothered him.
Several pages appeared to have been printed recently, even though the dates on the documents were months old.
He checked the last page.
A handwritten note had been attached.
Do not distribute original copies.
Mitchell stared at it.
He looked toward Bennett's office.
The blinds were closed.
For the first time that day, he wondered whether his superior had called him in for a reason other than routine case preparation.
He closed the folder.
Then he opened his computer and searched for the original Sentinel investigation.
A message appeared.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
ACCESS DENIED โ AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED
Mitchell frowned.
He had been assigned to one of the related cases months earlier.
Why was his access suddenly restricted?
He tried again.
The same message appeared.
Behind him, someone spoke.
"Having trouble?"
Mitchell nearly jumped.
Detective Reed stood beside his desk.
"Just checking a file."
Reed looked at the screen.
"Sentinel?"
Mitchell closed the window.
"Nothing important."
Reed studied him for a moment.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Reed walked away.
Mitchell watched him disappear into the operations area.
Then he looked at the folder Bennett had given him.
For the first time, he began to suspect that the new captain was not the only person in the precinct who had something to hide.