Major Daniel Smarx returned to his office at 13:40.
He closed the door behind him and stood motionless for several seconds.
The office looked exactly as it had that morning.
The metal desks.
The filing cabinets.
The computer monitors.
The clipboard Victoria had placed on her desk.
But something had changed.
He no longer felt that he controlled the room.
He sat down and opened his computer.
A message from the administrative review team was waiting.
It requested that he provide explanations for several personnel decisions made during the previous six months.
He read the message twice.
Then he leaned back.
He had spent years building his reputation inside the unit. He knew how to speak during meetings, how to present reports, and how to make his recommendations sound convincing.
He also knew that administrative processes could become complicated.
Sometimes complaints were delayed.
Sometimes paperwork was incomplete.
Sometimes decisions were made under pressure.
He had always believed those circumstances gave him room to manage problems without outside interference.
Now, however, every decision was being examined.
He opened the first attached document.
It concerned Captain James Walker.
Smarx remembered him immediately.
Walker had been the officer who questioned a scheduling decision and refused to accept the explanation he had been given.
Smarx remembered their conversation.
He remembered telling Walker that officers who created problems for their supervisors did not always advance quickly.
At the time, he had considered it a harmless warning.
Now it appeared in an official interview summary.
He closed the document.
His phone rang.
"Major Smarx speaking."
A male voice answered.
"This is Colonel Bennett's office. We need you in Conference Room C at 14:30."
"Is this regarding the morning incident?"
"Please attend the meeting, Major."
The call ended.
Smarx stared at the phone.
At 14:30, he entered the conference room.
Colonel Mercer was waiting with two administrative officers.
"Take a seat," she said.
Smarx sat.
Mercer opened a folder.
"We're reviewing several reports that were closed under your supervision."
"I understand."
"Did you personally examine each report before recommending closure?"
"Not necessarily every detail."
"Why not?"
"Because the office handles a substantial volume of administrative matters."
"Did you have sufficient staff to process those reports?"
"Yes."
"Then why were required supporting documents missing?"
Smarx rubbed his forehead.
"I can't answer that without reviewing the original records."
"You'll have an opportunity to do that."
She placed three documents in front of him.
"Do you recognize these?"
He examined them.
"Yes."
"Your authorization appears on all three."
"That's correct."
"Did you approve the closures?"
"I believe so."
"Did you verify that the officers involved had been interviewed?"
Smarx hesitated.
"I don't remember."
Mercer remained expressionless.
"Major, this review is not an attempt to embarrass you. We are trying to determine whether established procedures were followed."
"I understand, ma'am."
"Then answer accurately."
Smarx looked down.
"Some of the reports may have been processed too quickly."
"Why?"
He hesitated again.
"Pressure to keep the office functioning."
"From whom?"
Smarx looked up.
"I don't recall."
Mercer closed the folder.
"That answer will need to be supported."
The meeting lasted another hour.
Smarx was asked to provide a written explanation for each disputed decision. He was also instructed not to contact any individuals involved in the complaints about their statements.
When he returned to his office, Victoria was reviewing a personnel file.
He stopped near her desk.
"Lieutenant Colonel."
She looked up.
"Major."
"I understand you're leading part of this review."
"I'm assisting with the assessment."
He nodded.
"I want you to know that some of the decisions you're examining were made under difficult circumstances."
"Then the records should explain those circumstances."
"Sometimes the records don't tell the whole story."
"That's why we're interviewing the people involved."
Smarx studied her.
"You seem determined to find something."
Victoria closed the file.
"I'm determined to understand what happened."
"There's a difference."
"Yes, there is."
He looked away.
For a moment, he appeared ready to say something else.
Instead, he returned to his desk.
Victoria watched him briefly before turning back to her work.
She knew the investigation was becoming uncomfortable.
But she also knew that discomfort was not evidence of wrongdoing.
The review would stand or fall on facts.
And the facts were beginning to tell a story that Major Smarx could no longer control.