"Not before he used force. He said he was looking for Maya Reynolds, but I told him I was not that person."
Rebecca recorded the answer.
REBECCA SHAW:
"Thank you. We will compare your account with the available recordings and the independent witness statements."
Josephine nodded.
JOSEPHINE CARTER:
"Please also establish whether the assignment included any identifying information beyond a name and a general description."
REBECCA SHAW:
"We have requested the original dispatch material. We will examine what was actually communicated and whether the information was verified."
JOSEPHINE CARTER:
"That is important. I don't want the investigation to stop at the point where the officer says he misunderstood something."
Rebecca closed her notebook briefly.
REBECCA SHAW:
"Understood."
After the interview, Josephine was given a copy of the preliminary record and an explanation of the next steps.
The investigator left to interview the witnesses separately.
Thomas accompanied Josephine back toward the administrative corridor, where Elaine was waiting with an update.
ELAINE PORTER:
"The security team has confirmed that the original hallway recordings have been preserved. Access is restricted, and the system has logged the preservation request."
JOSEPHINE CARTER:
"Have they confirmed whether the elevator camera captured my arrival?"
ELAINE PORTER:
"Yes. That footage has also been retained."
JOSEPHINE CARTER:
"And the dispatch records?"
ELAINE PORTER:
"We have received an initial set of communications, but the administrator responsible for the police liaison is still checking whether additional messages or attachments exist."
Josephine considered the answer.
JOSEPHINE CARTER:
"Please make sure the review covers the period before the assignment was given. I want to know what information was available at the time, not simply what was written afterward."
ELAINE PORTER:
"I'll confirm that with the investigator."
Across the building, Daniel Reed was beginning to understand the consequences of the morning's events.
He had been instructed to remain available while the relevant authorities reviewed his conduct. His account had been recorded, and he had been asked to identify the communication through which he received the assignment.
He had also been told not to contact witnesses about their statements.
The instructions were clear.
He was not to alter records, coordinate accounts, or interfere with the collection of evidence.
Daniel sat in a small office with his hands resting on the table.
An officer responsible for the preliminary review asked him to describe the assignment.
OFFICER:
"Start with the first communication you received this morning. What did it say?"
DANIEL REED:
"I was told to look for Maya Reynolds. There was a concern that she hadn't appeared as expected."
OFFICER:
"Who sent that information?"
DANIEL REED:
"I believe it came through the dispatch channel."
OFFICER:
"You believe, or you know?"
Daniel paused.
DANIEL REED:
"I need to see the original message."
OFFICER:
"That is why we're reviewing the communication records."
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
He had remembered the assignment as straightforward. Someone had provided a name, a description, and a concern about attendance. He had interpreted those details as enough to begin looking for the woman.
But he had not checked whether the information was current.
He had not confirmed the identity of the person he stopped.
And he had not reconsidered his assumption when Josephine denied being Maya Reynolds.
The reviewing officer asked another question.
OFFICER:
"Did you have a photograph of Maya Reynolds?"
DANIEL REED:
"Not that I remember."
OFFICER:
"Did you have a confirmed address or another identifying document?"
DANIEL REED:
"I don't recall receiving one."
OFFICER:
"Then what made you certain that Judge Carter was the person you were looking for?"
Daniel stared at the table.
DANIEL REED:
"She matched the general description."
OFFICER:
"Did you verify that description before using force?"
DANIEL REED:
"No."
The answer was quiet.
For the first time that day, Daniel said something that did not attempt to shift responsibility onto Josephine.
It was not a complete account of the incident, but it was an acknowledgment of a basic fact.
He had not verified the identification.
The reviewing officer continued documenting the interview.
OFFICER:
"Did you strike her?"
DANIEL REED:
"Yes."
OFFICER:
"Did she strike you first?"
DANIEL REED:
"No."
OFFICER:
"Did you observe a weapon?"
DANIEL REED:
"No."
OFFICER:
"Did she threaten you with physical harm?"
Daniel hesitated, then shook his head.
DANIEL REED:
"No."
The officer entered the answers into the record.
Daniel leaned back in his chair, feeling the weight of each response.
He had spent years believing that confidence was an essential part of police work. He had been taught to make decisions quickly, maintain control, and avoid appearing uncertain in front of the public.
But confidence without verification had led him into a confrontation that he could not now explain away.