HAYES: "Is there another camera covering the area?"
LAURA: "Yes. The second camera has a wider view of the reception counter and the walkway beside it."
HAYES: "Let's review that one as well."
The second recording provided a clearer view of the positions of the people involved. It showed Daniel approaching Ethan and attempting to intervene. It also showed several employees watching from nearby workstations.
No one in the room spoke until the recording finished.
HAYES: "Preserve both recordings. Keep the original files unchanged and document every person who accesses them."
LAURA: "I'll make sure that's done."
CLAIRE: "I would also like the report to distinguish between what the footage shows directly and what the witnesses describe. That way, we can be precise about what is established."
HAYES: "Agreed."
Laura made another note.
The evidence was beginning to establish a clear account of the incident, but it had also created new questions.
Why had Ethan felt so confident that he could behave that way in front of several colleagues?
Had earlier complaints been handled appropriately?
Were there other employees who had experienced similar treatment but had never submitted formal reports?
And had supervisors recognized the pattern before it reached the point of physical violence?
Hayes knew that those questions could not be answered by watching a single recording.
He opened the folder containing the department's internal complaint procedures.
HAYES: "We need to identify the proper next steps. Ethan should not be allowed to influence witnesses while this is being reviewed."
CLAIRE: "I agree. The same standard should apply to anyone involved in the investigation."
HAYES: "I'll arrange temporary restrictions on his duties while we determine the appropriate process."
CLAIRE: "Please document the reasons for those restrictions and make sure they are reviewed through the proper channels."
HAYES: "You want everything recorded."
CLAIRE: "Yes. That protects the investigation and everyone involved in it."
Hayes nodded slowly.
He was beginning to understand that Claire was not interested in using the incident to settle a personal score. She was insisting on procedures that could be examined later, regardless of whose conduct was being reviewed.
That insistence made the situation more serious, not less.
An informal conversation could be forgotten or summarized differently by different people. A documented process created obligations that could not be dismissed so easily.
As the meeting ended, Laura received a message on her tablet.
She read it, then looked toward Hayes.
LAURA: "I've located references to three earlier complaints involving Officer Miller."
Hayes turned toward her.
HAYES: "Three?"
LAURA: "The system lists three separate entries over the past two years. I haven't reviewed the complete files yet, and I can't say whether they're related to this incident."
CLAIRE: "Who submitted them?"
LAURA: "The names are included in the restricted records, but I need authorization before I can retrieve the full documentation."
HAYES: "I'll authorize the records review. Keep the files separate until we establish what they contain."
Laura nodded.
Claire remained silent for a moment, considering what the discovery might mean.
Three earlier complaints did not automatically prove a pattern of misconduct. Each report would need to be reviewed on its own evidence, and the department would have to distinguish substantiated claims from allegations that had not been resolved.
But the existence of the records made one thing clear: the incident at reception might not be the first time someone had raised concerns about Ethan's behavior.
CLAIRE: "Please find out how each complaint was handled."
LAURA: "I'll check the case notes, the dates, and any recorded decisions."
CLAIRE: "Also look for missing documents or unexplained closures. If a complaint was dismissed, we need to understand why."
HAYES: "That will take time."
CLAIRE: "Then we should take the time necessary to do it properly."
Hayes closed the folder.
For years, he had treated internal complaints as separate administrative problems, each requiring a practical solution. He had not always considered whether repeated complaints about the same person might reveal a larger issue with supervision or accountability.
The morning's events had made that possibility difficult to ignore.
He looked at Claire, whose uniform was still slightly creased from the confrontation.
HAYES: "There's something else we need to address before the senior briefing."
CLAIRE: "What is it?"
HAYES: "Your assignment. Several people are waiting for an official introduction, and the announcement was supposed to happen this morning."
Claire glanced at the clock.