Nobody did.
The officers who had witnessed the confrontation seemed more concerned about avoiding involvement than understanding what had happened.
One turned away.
Another returned to his computer.
A third pretended to search through a folder.
Emily looked from Adrian to Derek, visibly uncomfortable.
She knew that something was wrong.
She had seen the official appointment announcement the previous week, although she had not memorized the new chief's photograph or name.
She also knew that a senior officer should never strike someone simply because he disliked the way that person looked or spoke.
But Derek had influence.
And in Bellwood, challenging influential people was rarely a comfortable experience.
Derek moved closer to Adrian once more.
Derek Mitchell: "Last warning. You're leaving now."
Adrian looked directly at him.
Adrian Cole: "No."
The single word made Derek's expression harden.
Derek Mitchell: "What did you say?"
Adrian Cole: "I said no."
The sergeant appeared to struggle with the idea that someone was refusing to obey him.
He had become accustomed to people stepping aside when he raised his voice.
He was used to junior officers apologizing before he had even explained what they had done wrong.
And he had rarely encountered anyone who remained calm after being publicly challenged.
Derek took another step forward.
Behind the counter, Emily slowly moved her attention toward the computer monitor.
An administrative notification had appeared in the corner of her screen.
At first, she ignored it.
Then she noticed the sender.
It was an official message from the city manager's office.
The subject line read:
NEW COMMAND APPOINTMENT β IMMEDIATE DEPARTMENTAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT REQUIRED.
Emily clicked the notification.
A new window opened.
A formal announcement appeared on the screen, accompanied by a professional photograph of a man wearing a navy-blue police command uniform.
She read the first line.
Then she looked at the photograph.
Her fingers stopped moving.
The man in the photograph had the same short black hair, the same facial structure, and the same gold insignia as the officer standing in front of Derek.
Emily leaned closer to the screen.
She read the name beneath the photograph.
CHIEF ADRIAN COLE.
For a second, she thought she might have misunderstood.
She looked back at the screen.
Then she looked toward the reception area.
The man Derek had just struck was the newly appointed chief of the Bellwood Police Department.
Emily's face lost its color.
She quickly looked at the appointment date.
Monday.
She checked the effective time.
8:50 a.m.
Then she looked at the clock above the reception counter.
The time matched exactly.
Her eyes widened.
Emily Carter: "Oh my God..."
Derek turned toward her.
Derek Mitchell: "What?"
Emily did not answer immediately.
She looked at the official photograph again, then at Adrian's gold badge.
Her breathing became noticeably faster.
Derek Mitchell: "Emily, what is your problem?"
Emily slowly rose from her chair.
Emily Carter: "Sergeant... you need to stop."
Derek frowned.
Derek Mitchell: "Stop what?"
Emily looked directly at Adrian.
Then she turned toward Derek.
Emily Carter: "That's Chief Cole."
The words seemed to travel across the lobby more slowly than anyone expected.
Derek stared at her.
For the first time that morning, his confidence began to disappear.
Derek Mitchell: "What are you talking about?"
Emily pointed toward the computer monitor.
Emily Carter: "The appointment announcement. He's the new chief."
Derek looked at the screen.
The photograph was unmistakable.
The name was unmistakable.
And the effective appointment time was unmistakable.
He turned back toward Adrian.
The man standing in front of him was not an unauthorized visitor.
He was not an impostor.
He was not someone who had wandered into the wrong building.
He was the person appointed to lead the entire department.
The person who could investigate his conduct.
The person who could suspend him.
And the person who had just experienced exactly how Bellwood treated people when its officers believed nobody important was watching.
Adrian slowly straightened his uniform.
He looked at Derek without raising his voice.
Adrian Cole: "Now that we've established who I am, I believe we have something to discuss."
Derek opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Around them, the officers who had witnessed the confrontation began to realize that the situation was far more serious than they had initially imagined.