Cross had said very little since the call began. He understood that the exchange between Kane and Parker mattered, but he did not attempt to direct it. The officers would have to decide for themselves what responsibilities came with their positions.
A person could not build a reliable case for accountability by forcing witnesses to agree with him.
They had to recognize what they had seen.
Brooks finally ended the call, carefully placing the receiver back in its cradle.
Kane turned toward her immediately.
"Well?"
She looked at the notes in front of her.
"The information has been referred for additional authentication. They need to confirm several details through the appropriate channel."
Kane let out a short laugh.
"So nobody knows who he is."
"That's not what they said."
"They haven't confirmed anything."
"They haven't completed the process."
"Which means we still have no proof."
Brooks folded the sheet of paper and kept it in front of her.
"It means we're waiting for confirmation. There is a difference."
Kane spread his hands.
"You're splitting hairs."
"No. I'm distinguishing between what we know and what you assume."
The remark left him momentarily speechless.
Cross looked toward Brooks. He did not smile, but he recognized the importance of her wording. She was refusing to let Kane turn an incomplete check into evidence for the conclusion he had already reached.
Kane was not ready to accept that distinction.
He pointed toward Cross.
"Look at him. He walks in here with a badge, refuses to explain himself properly, and expects everyone to take his word for it."
Cross answered without raising his voice.
"I gave you my name. I presented my identification. I asked you to verify it. You chose not to."
"You could have cooperated more."
"I cooperated with your questions. I did not agree to let you decide my identity without checking it."
Kane stepped forward again.
"You think using official language makes you untouchable."
"No. I think procedures exist for a reason."
"Procedures don't run this station. People do."
"People are supposed to follow procedures."
Brooks looked down at the notes in front of her, allowing the exchange to continue only because Cross remained composed and Kane had not advanced any further.
The distinction between authority and responsibility had become impossible to ignore.
Kane believed that being in charge gave him the right to decide which rules mattered. Cross understood authority as a responsibility to establish the facts before taking action. Neither man needed to announce that difference. It was already visible in everything they had done.
The phone rang again.
Everyone turned toward it.
Brooks reached for the receiver, but Kane moved first.
"I'll take it."
She stopped.
"Why?"
"Because this is my station, and I want to hear the answer directly."
Brooks studied him for a moment. She could have refused, but she recognized that the caller might be returning the verification request, and there was no reason to create another confrontation if the information could be shared openly.
She stepped aside.
Kane picked up the receiver.
"Officer Kane speaking."
His tone was clipped and formal. He listened, gave his name again, and explained that the station was holding a man who claimed to be a federal agent. He described the gold badge as questionable and emphasized that the individual had been unable to satisfy him.
Cross's expression remained neutral, but Brooks looked sharply at Kane when he described the encounter without mentioning the punch.
Parker noticed the omission, too.
Kane continued speaking for another minute. He answered several questions, supplied the information Brooks had written down, and repeatedly interrupted the caller to explain why he believed the badge was false.
Eventually, the person on the other end asked him to stop talking long enough to provide a specific identifying detail.
Kane fell silent.
He looked toward Cross.
"Full name," he said.
"Michael Cross."
Kane repeated the name into the receiver.
"Middle initial?"
"J."
Kane relayed the answer, then listened again.
The next question concerned a number on the identification.
Cross provided it.
Kane repeated the number carefully, looking down at the badge without touching it. His expression showed irritation at being required to follow a process he had treated as unnecessary only minutes earlier.
The caller asked him to confirm the agency indicated on the identification.
Kane did so.
Another pause followed.
He shifted his weight and glanced toward Brooks.
"How long is this supposed to take?"
The person on the phone apparently gave him an answer, because Kane's jaw tightened and he turned away from the others.