Detective Bennett: "Where the records contained current contact information, yes. Some have been invited to provide additional statements. We cannot reopen every matter automatically, but we're reviewing the available options."
Naomi Carter: "That's encouraging. Please make sure those people receive clear information about what the review can and cannot do."
Detective Bennett: "We will."
Naomi paused.
Naomi Carter: "Detective, I want to thank you for taking the investigation seriously. I know reviewing old records and checking every recording takes time."
Detective Bennett: "Thank you. But this is the work we're supposed to do."
Naomi Carter: "Exactly. That's why it matters."
After the call ended, Naomi placed her phone on the table.
She remembered the parking garage, the open trunk, the fallen shopping bag, and the moment Brooks had grabbed her hair.
She remembered the shock of being struck without warning and the frustration of trying to obtain a simple explanation.
But she also remembered the people who had stopped to help.
Emily Parker had kept recording.
Robert Lewis had provided his video.
The security employees had preserved the surveillance footage.
Sergeant Carter had documented the incident.
Detective Bennett had examined the recordings.
Captain Brooks had challenged the department's earlier decisions.
Daniel Mercer had investigated the complaint history.
Each person had played a part in establishing what happened.
The result had not come from Naomi's title alone. It had come from evidence, persistence, and people willing to carry out their responsibilities.
A week later, Naomi received a handwritten letter from a young woman named Rebecca Mills.
Rebecca explained that she had once experienced an intimidating encounter during a routine traffic stop. At the time, she had been frightened and unsure whether she was allowed to ask questions. She had not filed a complaint because she believed no one would listen.
After reading about the Westbridge investigation, she had decided to request information about the department's complaint process.
She did not ask Naomi to intervene in her case.
She simply wanted to say that the public discussion had encouraged her to speak up.
Naomi read the letter twice.
Then she wrote a response.
She thanked Rebecca for sharing her experience and encouraged her to seek appropriate advice, preserve relevant records, and use the official process available to her.
She also reminded her that she did not need a prestigious job or an important title to deserve respectful treatment.
When she finished, she placed the letter in a folder on her desk.
It was a small exchange, but it reinforced the point she had tried to make from the beginning.
The law was not supposed to protect only people who knew how to use it.
It was supposed to protect people because they were entitled to its protection.
Meanwhile, the department's disciplinary process involving Brooks had concluded.
His dismissal became final after the required administrative procedures were completed. The final notice cited the unauthorized physical force, failure to maintain professional conduct, and inaccurate reporting of the encounter.
It also referenced the evidence showing that Naomi had not threatened or physically attacked him.
Brooks had been given the opportunity to challenge the decision through the available process, but the department upheld the termination.
Lieutenant Reynolds also received his final disciplinary determination.
His failure to ensure that repeated complaints were properly documented and reviewed resulted in formal discipline and removal from supervisory responsibility.
The department did not describe the outcome as a victory.
It described it as accountability.
At a later public briefing, Captain Brooks explained the difference.
Captain Brooks: "The purpose of this process was not to make an example of one employee for public attention. It was to establish what happened, determine whether policy had been violated, and identify why previous warning signs had not been addressed."
A reporter raised a hand.
Reporter: "Does the department believe the reforms are enough?"
Captain Brooks: "No reform is complete simply because it has been announced. We will need to monitor whether supervisors follow the new procedures, whether evidence is preserved consistently, and whether complaints are investigated properly."
Reporter: "What happens if similar failures occur again?"
Captain Brooks: "They will be examined, documented, and addressed through the appropriate accountability process."
The department's public statement concluded with a commitment to publish regular progress updates.
Naomi did not attend that briefing.
She had no desire to become the central figure in every discussion about the department. She had made her statement, provided the evidence, and followed the complaint process.
Her attention returned to her work and the responsibilities she had always considered more important than public attention.