For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Ethan looked away first.
Claire continued walking without saying anything.
Inside the interview room, Hayes closed the door and invited Claire to sit. Laura placed her tablet on the table but remained standing until the captain indicated that she could take a seat.
HAYES: "I want to understand what happened from the beginning. Please tell me exactly what you experienced."
Claire described her arrival, the instructions she had received at reception, and her conversation with Ethan. She explained how he had demanded her identification, reached for her documents, and become increasingly aggressive when she asked him to behave professionally.
She did not exaggerate his words or attempt to make herself sound more intimidating than she had been.
She described the slap, the fall, the kick, and his attempt to pull her up while she was trying to protect herself.
Hayes listened without interrupting. Laura recorded the key details, asking for clarification about the time and the positions of the people involved.
When Claire finished, Hayes rested his hands on the table.
HAYES: "Did you threaten Officer Miller at any point?"
CLAIRE: "No."
HAYES: "Did you touch him first?"
CLAIRE: "No. I held my documents away when he tried to grab them from me. I did not strike him, push him, or threaten him."
HAYES: "Did you know who he was before the confrontation?"
CLAIRE: "I knew his name when he identified himself. I had not met him before this morning."
Hayes looked down at his notes.
HAYES: "He has given me a different description of the incident."
CLAIRE: "I expected that might happen."
HAYES: "He says you were confrontational and refused to cooperate."
CLAIRE: "Then the footage should help establish whether that description is accurate."
LAURA: "We should also obtain statements from everyone who was present."
CLAIRE: "Yes. Please speak to them separately. I don't want people discussing the incident together before they give their accounts."
Laura nodded and added the request to her notes.
HAYES: "Officer Bennett, I need to ask you something else. Are you requesting a formal complaint?"
CLAIRE: "I am requesting that the incident be formally recorded and investigated according to the department's procedures."
HAYES: "And if the investigation confirms what you described?"
CLAIRE: "Then the department should take the action required by its rules. I am not asking for special treatment."
Hayes studied her for a moment.
HAYES: "You understand this could become a serious internal matter."
CLAIRE: "It already is a serious matter. An officer struck another officer inside a police station. Several people witnessed at least part of it. We should not make the situation smaller simply because acknowledging it may be uncomfortable."
The captain did not answer immediately.
He had spent years trying to keep Westbridge functioning smoothly, and he knew that a formal investigation could create tension among the staff. There might be questions about earlier complaints, supervisory decisions, and whether certain behaviors had been overlooked.
But the possibility of inconvenience could not justify ignoring what had happened.
HAYES: "You're right that the incident must be documented. I'll make sure the evidence is preserved."
CLAIRE: "Thank you."
HAYES: "I also want to know why you asked the administrative employee about the senior briefing."
Claire glanced at Laura, then returned her attention to the captain.
CLAIRE: "Because I was scheduled to attend it."
HAYES: "I see."
There was something in Hayes's expression that suggested he had not expected that answer.
He opened the folder he had brought into the room and checked the first page.
HAYES: "Your name is on the briefing list. I was told to expect you this morning, but I wasn't given a precise arrival time."
CLAIRE: "That is correct."
HAYES: "Then I owe you an apology for the confusion."
CLAIRE: "The confusion isn't the main issue right now."
HAYES: "No. I suppose it isn't."
Laura looked between them, increasingly curious about Claire's assignment. The paperwork on the captain's desk had been marked confidential, and she knew that several administrative decisions had been waiting for formal announcement.
However, she did not ask a question that was not hers to ask.
HAYES: "Before we discuss anything else, I want you to know that I will not allow this investigation to be handled informally just to avoid embarrassment."
CLAIRE: "That is all I'm asking."
HAYES: "I'll have Laura coordinate the evidence collection. You should also receive medical attention and make sure any injuries are documented."