For the first time since the incident, he appeared not merely concerned but deeply troubled. If Maya had arrived on time, then Daniel's claim that she was avoiding court was already questionable. The woman he had struck had not been the person he was searching for, and the person he claimed was missing had apparently been present in the building all along.
Robert crossed the corridor and handed the attendance sheet to Marcus.
ROBERT COLE: "Lieutenant, the clerk has confirmed that Maya Reynolds checked in this morning."
Marcus took the paper and examined it.
MARCUS REED: "What time?"
COURTHOUSE CLERK: "Eight forty-seven. Her hearing was scheduled for nine fifteen."
Marcus looked at Daniel.
MARCUS REED: "You said you were searching for someone who was avoiding court. She checked in before the hearing. Were you aware of that?"
DANIEL HAYES: "No."
MARCUS REED: "Did anyone tell you she had failed to appear?"
DANIEL HAYES: "I was told to locate her."
MARCUS REED: "Those are two different instructions."
The clerk remained beside them, holding a second document.
COURTHOUSE CLERK: "There is something else. I checked the warrant status because the officer mentioned an arrest warrant. The system does not show an active warrant for Maya Reynolds."
The words brought the conversation to a halt.
Daniel stared at the clerk.
DANIEL HAYES: "That can't be right."
COURTHOUSE CLERK: "I checked the case number twice."
DANIEL HAYES: "Maybe it hasn't updated."
COURTHOUSE CLERK: "The entry was reviewed this morning. There is no active arrest warrant recorded under that case."
Marcus placed the attendance sheet beside the incident notes.
MARCUS REED: "Officer Hayes, you have now said that you were looking for someone who had already checked in, and the clerk has confirmed that no active warrant appears in the system. What exactly were you relying on when you confronted Judge Brooks?"
Daniel's expression changed. He looked from the clerk to Marcus, then toward the people standing nearby. His earlier certainty had become difficult to maintain, but he still seemed unwilling to admit that he had acted without sufficient information.
DANIEL HAYES: "I believed the information I received was accurate."
MARCUS REED: "Believing something is not the same as verifying it."
ELENA BROOKS: "That distinction is precisely why this needs to be investigated."
Everyone turned toward Elena. She had stood from the bench and was approaching the group slowly. Her cheek still hurt, but she had regained enough composure to speak without hesitation.
ELENA BROOKS: "The question is not only why he believed I was Maya Reynolds. We also need to establish who provided the information, what was actually said, and whether anyone checked the records before sending him to find her."
Marcus nodded.
MARCUS REED: "Agreed. We will preserve the briefing records, the communications logs, and the relevant courthouse footage."
ELENA BROOKS: "I also want the names of every person who had access to the information used to identify Ms. Reynolds."
Daniel looked at her uneasily.
DANIEL HAYES: "Judge Brooks, I understand that this has become a serious situation."
Elena regarded him without changing her expression.
ELENA BROOKS: "It became serious when you struck me."
DANIEL HAYES: "I was trying to do my job."
ELENA BROOKS: "Then your job required you to establish the facts before using force."
The answer was neither loud nor dramatic. Its restraint made it difficult for Daniel to dismiss. He looked away, and Marcus instructed another security officer to escort him to a separate office while the initial statements were collected.
Daniel did not resist, but he continued looking back toward the group as he walked away. He appeared to be searching for an opportunity to explain himself before the situation became worse.
Robert remained beside Elena while the clerk returned to the records office to print the relevant case information. He had worked with Elena on numerous occasions and had always known her to be meticulous about procedure. Yet the fact that she was a judge did not make him less concerned about her injury. It made the failure to recognize her identity even more disturbing, because the courthouse was supposed to be a place where the rules applied consistently.
ROBERT COLE: "You should have been able to walk into your own courtroom without this happening."
ELENA BROOKS: "No one should have to prove they deserve basic respect before an officer agrees to verify their identity."
Robert lowered his eyes briefly.
ROBERT COLE: "You're right."
Elena looked at the documents still scattered near the wall. A clerk had begun gathering them into a separate folder, recording where each item had been found. The papers contained routine court material, but their position on the floor now formed part of the evidence of what had happened.