Noah knew that the precinct had procedures for visitors whose credentials required additional verification. He also knew that contacting a supervisor was a normal response when a matter involved another agency.
He tried to intervene carefully.
OFFICER NOAH REED: "Officer Turner, I can check the appointment schedule and call the administrative office."
Blake turned toward him.
BLAKE TURNER: "Did I ask you to take over?"
OFFICER NOAH REED: "No, sir. I was just offering to help verify the appointment."
BLAKE TURNER: "Then stay at your desk and do your job."
Noah fell silent.
The rebuke was delivered loudly enough for two officers working at nearby desks to hear. One glanced up and then returned to his monitor. Another pretended to concentrate on a report, although his attention had clearly shifted toward the reception area.
Elena noticed the exchange but kept her focus on Blake.
She had encountered difficult personalities in professional settings before. Some people became defensive when asked to explain a decision. Others mistook a calm question for a lack of confidence.
Her experience had taught her that reacting emotionally rarely improved such situations.
ELENA BROOKS: "Officer Turner, I understand that you have responsibilities concerning security. I'm happy to cooperate with any reasonable verification process. Could you please contact your supervisor?"
Blake laughed without humor.
BLAKE TURNER: "You keep saying that word as if it settles everything."
ELENA BROOKS: "It would settle the question of my appointment."
BLAKE TURNER: "You think that badge makes you special?"
Elena glanced briefly at the identification clipped to her blazer.
ELENA BROOKS: "It identifies my agency and my role. You can verify it through the appropriate channel."
BLAKE TURNER: "I don't need a lecture about identification from someone who just walked into my precinct."
ELENA BROOKS: "Then we should have no problem making the call."
The nearby officers exchanged uncertain looks.
Blake had expected resistance, perhaps an argument about jurisdiction or an attempt to use the FBI name to pressure him. Instead, Elena kept returning to the same practical solution.
Verify the credentials.
Confirm the appointment.
Contact the supervisor.
It was a straightforward process, and that simplicity seemed to make Blake increasingly uncomfortable. The longer she remained composed, the more difficult it became for him to portray her as unreasonable.
He stepped closer to the counter.
BLAKE TURNER: "Let me make something clear. Nobody comes in here and tells me how to run my shift."
ELENA BROOKS: "I'm not asking to run your shift."
BLAKE TURNER: "You're acting like you can order me around."
ELENA BROOKS: "I have asked you to make one phone call."
BLAKE TURNER: "And I've told you that I will decide what needs to happen."
Elena took a slow breath.
She could have responded with a sharp remark. She could have reminded him that the federal investigation did not depend on his approval. She could have demanded to speak with someone above his rank in front of everyone in the lobby.
Instead, she kept her voice level.
ELENA BROOKS: "If there is a concern about my credentials, please identify the concern and let us address it through the proper procedure."
Blake's expression hardened.
BLAKE TURNER: "You don't get to tell me how to conduct an investigation."
ELENA BROOKS: "I'm not conducting an investigation here. I'm trying to attend a scheduled meeting."
BLAKE TURNER: "Then perhaps you should wait until somebody decides they want to see you."
ELENA BROOKS: "That is why I asked you to contact the supervisor."
BLAKE TURNER: "Are you refusing to leave?"
The question changed the atmosphere around the desk.
Noah looked up again. One of the officers near the hallway stopped typing. The security camera above the entrance continued recording the lobby from its fixed position.
Elena recognized the shift immediately. Blake was no longer discussing how to verify her appointment. He was trying to turn her request into a confrontation over whether she would obey an order to leave.
She chose her words carefully.
ELENA BROOKS: "I am here for official business. I am willing to wait while my appointment is confirmed. If your supervisor determines that I should not proceed, I will listen to that instruction and address the matter through the appropriate channel."
BLAKE TURNER: "That's a long way of saying you don't want to leave."
ELENA BROOKS: "It's a clear way of saying I want this handled professionally."
Blake glanced around the lobby. He noticed the officers watching him and seemed increasingly conscious that the exchange was no longer private.
Rather than lowering his voice, he raised it.
BLAKE TURNER: "Everybody has to follow the rules. That includes people who show up flashing federal credentials."
ELENA BROOKS: "I agree."
BLAKE TURNER: "Then stop acting as though the rules don't apply to you."
ELENA BROOKS: "I haven't asked you to ignore a single rule."
For a moment, Blake had no immediate answer.
Elena opened her folder and removed the appointment confirmation. She placed it on the counter, angled toward him.
ELENA BROOKS: "Here is the confirmation. You can check the date, the time, and the office responsible for the meeting. If you need to call someone to verify it, please do so."
Blake looked at the paper but did not pick it up.