RECEPTIONIST: "I'm checking the schedule now."
RYAN: "Then check it properly."
The receptionist looked uncomfortable but continued working.
Andre adjusted the handle of his briefcase.
ANDRE: "There shouldn't be a problem. I was expected this morning."
Ryan stepped away from the counter and positioned himself directly in front of Andre.
RYAN: "Listen, I don't know who you think you're here to see, but you can't just walk into a restricted area because you have an appointment."
ANDRE: "I'm standing at the reception desk. I haven't entered any restricted area."
RYAN: "You seem to have an answer for everything."
ANDRE: "I'm simply answering your questions."
Ryan's expression hardened.
He was accustomed to people becoming nervous when an officer confronted them. Most visitors immediately lowered their voices, apologized, or attempted to explain themselves repeatedly.
Andre did none of those things.
He remained composed, his shoulders relaxed and his eyes steady.
That calmness irritated Ryan more than he expected.
A few feet away, two officers exchanged a brief glance.
One of them recognized that the conversation was becoming unnecessarily confrontational, but neither wanted to get involved.
The receptionist looked toward Andre again.
RECEPTIONIST: "Sir, could I see your identification, please?"
ANDRE: "Of course."
Andre placed his briefcase on the counter, reached into his jacket, and removed his identification.
He handed it over without hesitation.
The receptionist examined the document and began comparing the information with the appointment record.
Ryan reached toward the counter.
RYAN: "Let me see that."
The receptionist hesitated before handing it to him.
Ryan glanced at the identification, then looked at Andre.
His expression did not change.
RYAN: "And this is supposed to prove what?"
ANDRE: "It establishes who I am. The appointment should confirm why I'm here."
RYAN: "I decide whether people get access to this building."
ANDRE: "Then I suggest you verify the appointment before making a decision."
The words were delivered quietly, without aggression.
But Ryan interpreted them as a challenge.
He took another step forward.
RYAN: "Are you telling me how to do my job?"
ANDRE: "No. I'm asking you to do it professionally."
The receptionist stopped typing.
For a moment, the hallway became noticeably quieter.
Ryan stared at Andre as though he could hardly believe someone had spoken to him that way.
He was used to being treated with deference, especially by visitors who did not know the department's internal hierarchy.
The fact that Andre refused to become intimidated made Ryan feel that he was losing control of the interaction.
RYAN: "You need to watch your attitude."
ANDRE: "My attitude isn't the problem here."
RYAN: "You don't know who you're dealing with."
ANDRE: "Actually, I think that's the problem."
A brief silence followed.
One of the officers near the reception area lowered the paperwork he had been holding.
The receptionist looked from Ryan to Andre, hoping the conversation would end before the situation became worse.
Instead, Ryan moved even closer.
He raised one hand and pointed toward the corridor behind Andre.
RYAN: "You can wait outside until somebody decides what to do with you."
ANDRE: "I'm not leaving. I have a scheduled meeting."
RYAN: "You heard me."
ANDRE: "And I have already explained why I'm here."
Ryan's patience appeared to disappear.
He reached forward and grabbed Andre by the front of his suit, catching the fabric near the lapel and pulling him slightly closer.
The movement was sudden enough to make the receptionist step backward.
Andre looked down briefly at Ryan's hand before raising his eyes again.
ANDRE: "Take your hand off my jacket."
Ryan did not immediately release him.
RYAN: "You don't give orders here."
ANDRE: "I'm asking you to let go."
The two men stood almost face-to-face.
Ryan's grip remained fixed on the expensive fabric of Andre's suit.
Andre made no attempt to strike him or push him away.
His expression remained controlled, although his eyes had become noticeably colder.
Several people in the hallway were now watching.
Nobody had expected a routine appointment to turn into a physical confrontation.
One officer shifted his weight as if considering whether he should intervene.
Another looked toward the reception desk.
The receptionist opened her mouth, then stopped when Ryan glanced in her direction.
RYAN: "You think wearing a nice suit makes you important?"
ANDRE: "No. I think people should be treated with respect regardless of what they're wearing."
RYAN: "This isn't some business office where you can talk your way through everything."
ANDRE: "Then perhaps you should remember that this is a police department."