He did not reach into his pockets. He did not turn away. He simply remained where he was, watching the officer's movements without displaying any obvious fear.
Daniel interpreted that composure as a challenge.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "Evening. What are you doing here?"
Adam glanced briefly at the sedan before returning his attention to the officer.
ADAM REED: "Standing beside my car."
Daniel stopped a few feet away. His eyes moved over Adam's jacket, his hands, and the surrounding area.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "Where are you coming from?"
ADAM REED: "Nearby."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "Nearby where?"
ADAM REED: "Officer, is there a particular reason you're questioning me?"
The question was reasonable, but Daniel disliked being asked to explain himself. He had approached expecting the other man to become nervous, perhaps to offer unnecessary details or apologize for something he had not done.
Instead, Adam had answered without hostility and had calmly asked for clarification.
Daniel's expression hardened.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "I'm asking the questions here. You answer them."
ADAM REED: "I understand. I'd still like to know why you've stopped me."
For a moment, the officer said nothing.
The street remained quiet around them. A vehicle passed at the far end of the road, its tires hissing against the wet pavement. Somewhere nearby, a traffic signal changed, casting a brief red reflection across the black sedan's windows.
Daniel stepped closer.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You've been standing here for a while. That makes you interesting."
ADAM REED: "Standing next to a parked car is not a crime."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You want to tell me how to do my job?"
ADAM REED: "No. I'm asking you to tell me what I've done wrong."
The calmness in Adam's voice irritated Daniel more than an angry outburst would have. Anger could be described as aggression. Panic could be portrayed as suspicious behavior. But measured questions were difficult to turn into evidence of wrongdoing.
Daniel needed to change the situation.
He looked toward the street, then back at Adam, making certain that nobody was standing close enough to hear their conversation clearly. The windows of a nearby building were dark, and the passing traffic offered only brief glimpses of the encounter.
The officer's posture changed almost imperceptibly.
His shoulders relaxed. His expression became less confrontational. He even offered a small, humorless smile.
Daniel had decided to manufacture the evidence he needed.
He moved closer as if preparing to conduct a routine search. One hand remained near his duty belt while the other reached toward Adam's jacket. His movements were practiced enough to appear ordinary to an untrained observer.
Adam watched him carefully.
There was something wrong with the officer's behavior. Daniel had not explained the legal basis for his actions, had not identified any specific offense, and had moved from questioning to physical intimidation with remarkable speed.
Adam remained still, but his attention sharpened.
Then Daniel made his move.
In a quick, deliberate motion, the officer slipped a small clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance into the chest pocket of Adam's dark jacket. The action lasted only a moment. Daniel's hand disappeared near the fabric, withdrew, and immediately returned to view.
He had barely allowed the pocket to settle before reaching toward it again.
The movement was so deliberate that it looked less like a search than a performance.
Daniel pulled the small bag from Adam's pocket and held it between two fingers. His expression transformed instantly. The relaxed smile vanished, replaced by the stern look of an officer who had supposedly discovered something incriminating.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "What's this? Explain that!"
Adam looked at the bag, then at the officer.
He understood exactly what had happened.
The substance had not been in his pocket before Daniel approached him. He had felt the movement against his jacket. He had watched the officer's hand move in and out of the fabric.
The discovery was a fabrication, and Daniel had expected him to react with confusion or fear.
Adam did neither.
ADAM REED: "You planted that."
Daniel raised his eyebrows in exaggerated disbelief.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "Excuse me?"
ADAM REED: "You put it in my pocket. I watched you do it."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "Careful. You're accusing a police officer of misconduct."
ADAM REED: "I'm describing what happened."
Daniel moved the bag closer to Adam's face, as though displaying it would make his accusation more convincing.
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "I just found suspected illegal drugs on you. You'd better think very carefully about what you say next."
ADAM REED: "Then explain how they got there."
OFFICER DANIEL COLE: "You tell me."
ADAM REED: "You already know."