Victor watched him.
"I don't care who you think you are."
Daniel rose to his feet.
He straightened his jacket and looked directly at the officer.
"You have made a serious mistake."
Victor gave a dismissive laugh.
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
Daniel did not answer.
Behind the reception counter, Olivia had turned back toward her computer. She had received an official appointment notification earlier that morning, but she had not opened it. The department was busy, and the arrival of the new chief had been only one item on a long list of administrative tasks.
Now, with Daniel standing in front of Victor and blood visible on his lip, she suddenly remembered the announcement.
She opened the message.
A formal bulletin appeared on the screen, accompanied by a photograph of the newly appointed chief.
Olivia looked at the photograph.
Then she looked at Daniel.
Her face changed.
The man standing in front of Victor was the same man shown in the official announcement.
The screen clearly displayed:
OFFICIAL APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
DANIEL BROOKS
NEW CHIEF OF POLICE
BELLWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT
EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 31, 8:50 A.M.
Olivia's eyes widened.
"Wait... you're the new chief?"
Daniel turned slightly toward her.
"That's right. I'm your new police chief."
The words seemed to drain the confidence from Victor's face.
His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
He looked at Daniel's clothing, then at the official announcement on the computer screen.
The man he had just punched was not an unauthorized visitor.
He was the person who had been appointed to supervise the entire department.
Victor took half a step backward.
For the first time that morning, he appeared uncertain.
Daniel looked at him without raising his voice.
"Officer Hayes, step away from me."
Victor's hand moved instinctively toward his duty belt, then stopped.
"Chief... I didn't know."
Daniel's expression remained cold.
"That is exactly the problem."
The words were quiet, but everyone in the lobby heard them.
***
For a few seconds, nobody knew what to do.
Olivia remained standing behind the counter, one hand resting beside her keyboard. Victor looked as though he wanted to explain himself, but he could not find a sentence that would make the situation sound reasonable.
Daniel bent down, picked up his briefcase, and checked that the documents inside had not been damaged.
He then looked around the lobby.
Two officers near the hallway had witnessed the confrontation. One of them was holding a coffee cup. The other had been standing beside a computer terminal.
Neither had intervened.
Daniel noticed them.
He also noticed the way they avoided his eyes.
"Officer," he said, looking toward the taller man near the hallway.
The officer straightened immediately.
"Yes, Chief?"
"Your name."
"Officer Matthew Collins, sir."
Daniel turned toward the second man.
"And yours?"
"Officer Ryan Miller."
Daniel nodded.
"Both of you witnessed what happened?"
Neither answered immediately.
Victor interrupted.
"Chief, I can explain the situation."
Daniel turned toward him.
"You will have an opportunity to provide a statement. Until then, I suggest you remain silent."
Victor closed his mouth.
Daniel looked at Olivia.
"Please preserve the reception camera footage. Every angle, every second, from the time I entered this building until now."
"Yes, Chief."
"Do not edit it, transfer it through an ordinary messaging account, or allow anyone to overwrite the original recording. I want the footage secured as evidence."
Olivia nodded quickly.
"I'll contact the technical department."
"Also preserve the official appointment notification. I want the original message and its delivery record."
"Understood."
Daniel looked back at Victor.
"Officer Hayes, place your hands where I can see them."
Victor hesitated.
"Chief, surely we can discuss this privately."
"We can discuss it after the evidence is secured."
Daniel turned toward Olivia again.
"Contact Internal Affairs. Tell them I am initiating an immediate investigation into an assault committed inside the department."
Victor's expression tightened.
"An assault? Chief, I was performing my duties."
Daniel looked at the blood on his lip.
"Your duties do not include striking someone because you dislike the way they look."
Victor shifted his weight.
"I thought you were entering a restricted facility."
"You were standing in the public reception area. You did not ask for identification, you did not explain a security concern, and you did not give me a reasonable opportunity to identify myself."
Daniel paused.
"You grabbed me and hit me."
Victor looked toward the two officers in the hallway.
They remained silent.
Daniel understood something important.
The problem was not only the officer who had attacked him.
It was the environment that had allowed him to believe such behavior was normal.
***
At 9:12 a.m., the department's senior administrative staff began arriving in the lobby.
The first person to reach the reception area was Deputy Chief James Vance.
Vance was fifty-eight years old and had spent most of his professional life at Bellwood Police Department. He had served as a division commander, administrative captain, and acting chief during the previous six months.
He was broad-shouldered, with greying hair and a carefully maintained uniform.
For years, Vance had been one of the most influential figures inside the department.