For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Harlan stood beside Olivia's desk, holding the torn envelope in one hand and the first page of the report in the other.
His eyes moved slowly across the document.
At the top was the official letterhead of the Westbridge Police Department's Internal Affairs Division.
Below it was a case number.
Then a classification.
FORMAL INVESTIGATION β ALLEGED MISCONDUCT, EVIDENCE TAMPERING, AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
Harlan swallowed.
He turned the page slightly, as if changing its angle might somehow change what was written.
It didn't.
His name appeared in bold letters beneath the heading.
SUBJECT: SERGEANT RICHARD E. HARLAN.
He looked up.
"What is this?"
Olivia folded her hands on the desk.
"It's the report you just opened."
"Who authorized this?"
"Lieutenant Reed."
"Reed?" Harlan's voice cracked slightly. "Marcus Reed?"
"Yes."
Harlan shook his head.
"This is ridiculous."
He looked around the room, apparently expecting someone to agree with him.
Nobody did.
Detective Sarah Mitchell was standing beside the filing cabinet now. Officer Doyle had moved away from his computer. Two patrol officers had stopped near the doorway.
Everyone had heard Olivia's statement.
Everyone had seen Harlan tear open the envelope.
"You're telling me Internal Affairs is investigating me?" Harlan demanded.
"I'm telling you that the document in your hand identifies you as the subject of an active investigation."
"That's impossible."
Olivia tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Because I haven't done anything wrong."
"That's what the investigation is supposed to establish."
Harlan slammed the document onto her desk.
"Who gave you permission to read this?"
Olivia looked at the broken security strip.
"You mean the envelope you just destroyed?"
His face tightened.
"Don't get clever with me."
"I'm not being clever. I'm documenting what happened."
Harlan pointed at her.
"You knew I was coming."
Olivia didn't answer immediately.
She reached for a small notebook beside her keyboard and wrote down the time.
2:47 p.m.
Then she added a short note.
Sergeant Harlan entered investigative office, demanded restricted IA envelope, disregarded access requirements, forcibly removed and opened sealed document.
She underlined the last sentence.
Harlan watched her write.
"Put that notebook away."
"No."
"I said put it away!"
"And I heard you."
The atmosphere in the office had become unbearable.
Captain Daniel Mercer appeared in the doorway, holding a paper cup.
He was a tall man in his late fifties, with thinning gray hair and a tired expression. He had been walking toward the administrative offices when he noticed the crowd gathering around Olivia's desk.
"What is going on?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Sarah Mitchell spoke.
"Sergeant Harlan opened a restricted Internal Affairs envelope."
Mercer looked at Harlan.
"Is that true?"
Harlan immediately changed his posture.
"Captain, this is a misunderstanding."
Mercer glanced at the torn envelope.
"What misunderstanding?"
"Brooks refused to surrender departmental material. I was trying to determine what was inside."
Olivia finally looked up.
"That's not accurate."
Harlan turned toward her.
"Nobody asked you."
Mercer raised one hand.
"Enough. Detective Brooks, explain."
Olivia stood.
"Lieutenant Reed delivered this envelope at 2:25 p.m. It was marked confidential and restricted access. He instructed me to ensure it reached your office without unauthorized handling."
She pointed toward the papers.
"Sergeant Harlan entered at approximately 2:44 p.m., demanded possession of the envelope, refused to provide authorization, and forcibly opened it despite my objections."
Mercer looked down.
"Did he read the report?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
Olivia glanced at the documents.
"The first page and part of the second."
Mercer turned to Harlan.
"Why?"
"Because I have a right to know what is happening inside my department!"
"You're not the subject of every investigation in this department, Richard."
Harlan's jaw tightened.
"Captain, you need to understand something. This detective has been interfering with my work for months."
Olivia said nothing.
Mercer looked between them.
"Richard, step into my office."
"With respect, Captain, I think we should discuss this here."
"That wasn't a suggestion."
Harlan hesitated.
Then he slowly placed the report back on the desk.
But before walking away, he leaned toward Olivia.
"You have no idea what you've started."
Olivia met his eyes.
"Actually, Sergeant, I think you do."
He turned and followed Mercer.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Sarah approached Olivia.
"Are you okay?"
Olivia nodded.
"I'm fine."
Sarah glanced at the destroyed envelope.
"That man just opened an Internal Affairs report in front of half the precinct."
"Yes."
"And you seem remarkably calm."
Olivia gathered the loose documents.
"Because the report isn't the only evidence."
Sarah frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Olivia looked toward the captain's office.
"Marcus told me something was missing from the original investigation."
"What?"
Olivia lowered her voice.
"The original recording."
Sarah's expression changed.
Before she could ask another question, Olivia's phone vibrated.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE PRECINCT. HARLAN KNOWS ABOUT THE SECOND FILE.
Olivia read it twice.
Then she locked her phone.
The investigation had just become much more dangerous.