RYAN MITCHELL: "You got a little scratch. Don't act like I put you in the hospital."
Daniel stared at him for a long moment.
DANIEL BROOKS: "Is that really your explanation?"
RYAN MITCHELL: "That's the truth."
DANIEL BROOKS: "No. That's your attempt to make what happened sound harmless."
Ryan's jaw tightened.
Daniel continued speaking in the same measured tone.
DANIEL BROOKS: "You grabbed me without justification. You shoved me against a desk. Then you punched me in front of witnesses. The fact that the injury isn't severe doesn't change what you did."
Ryan laughed, but the sound carried no genuine amusement.
RYAN MITCHELL: "You sound like a lawyer."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I'm describing what happened."
RYAN MITCHELL: "You're trying to build a case against me."
DANIEL BROOKS: "You built the case yourself."
David looked down briefly, concealing a reaction that might have resembled approval.
Emily, however, remained visibly tense.
She knew that Ryan's anger had not disappeared. It had merely shifted direction. Instead of concentrating entirely on Daniel, he was now watching everyone who had challenged his version of events.
That made her nervous.
She had worked with Ryan long enough to know that he remembered perceived disloyalty. He could ignore a disagreement when it suited him, but he had a habit of bringing old arguments back into conversations months later.
She also knew that Daniel was now in a difficult position.
If he filed a complaint, Ryan might attempt to undermine his credibility. If he remained silent, the incident could disappear into the same quiet corners where other uncomfortable matters had been buried.
Neither possibility seemed acceptable.
Emily turned toward her computer.
EMILY CARTER: "I'm going to document the time of the incident and preserve the relevant records."
Ryan immediately looked at her.
RYAN MITCHELL: "You aren't authorized to make that decision."
EMILY CARTER: "I'm recording what I witnessed."
RYAN MITCHELL: "You work dispatch. You don't investigate officers."
EMILY CARTER: "I don't need to investigate anyone to report what happened in front of me."
Ryan took a step toward the desk.
Daniel moved slightly, keeping himself between Ryan and Emily.
DANIEL BROOKS: "She's doing her job."
RYAN MITCHELL: "Stay out of it."
DANIEL BROOKS: "You just told her to stay out of it. Now you're trying to stop her from recording what she saw."
RYAN MITCHELL: "I don't have to explain departmental procedures to you."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Then follow them."
The response was immediate and direct.
Ryan's face reddened again.
For a moment, David thought the confrontation might become physical once more. He stepped closer, positioning himself where he could intervene if necessary.
DAVID MERCER: "That's enough, Ryan."
RYAN MITCHELL: "You keep saying that as if you're in charge."
DAVID MERCER: "I'm saying it because this has gone too far."
RYAN MITCHELL: "Then let someone in charge handle it."
DAVID MERCER: "Fine. Let's call a supervisor."
Ryan's expression changed.
It was a subtle reaction, but Daniel noticed it immediately. Ryan had been willing to argue in front of the officers who worked alongside him. The prospect of bringing someone from the command staff into the room appeared to make him less comfortable.
RYAN MITCHELL: "There's no reason to involve command over something this small."
DAVID MERCER: "You just said someone in charge should handle it."
RYAN MITCHELL: "I said if it was necessary."
DAVID MERCER: "Then let's find out whether it is."
Ryan looked away.
For the first time since he had grabbed Daniel, he appeared to be searching for a way out of the situation that would not make him look weak.
Daniel watched him without interrupting.
He had no desire to humiliate Ryan in front of his colleagues. He had not entered the station that morning looking for a confrontation, and he was not interested in winning an argument for the sake of his pride.
What mattered was whether the truth would be recorded accurately.
What mattered was whether the people who had witnessed the assault would be allowed to speak honestly.
And what mattered most was whether the department would treat the incident as a serious breach of conduct or simply another inconvenience to be forgotten by the next shift.
Daniel picked up his leather folder from the floor and checked the papers inside.
A few sheets had been creased when they fell. One had slid beneath the edge of a chair, while another lay near the base of the reception desk.
He collected them carefully.