Because the investigation would uncover something far more troubling than one officer's behavior.
CHAPTER THREE: THE WOMAN BEHIND THE BADGE
Rebecca Collins sat alone in the interview room at the precinct.
Her uniform was neatly pressed.
Her hair was tied back.
Her badge rested against her chest.
But her confidence had disappeared.
She had watched the video repeatedly.
At first, she had convinced herself that the footage made her look worse than she really was.
Then she remembered the cameras.
The phones.
The witnesses.
The moment Danielle told her to step back.
She remembered the way she had responded.
She remembered grabbing Victoria's wrist.
And she remembered the words she had said.
"You're acting like you think you're important."
Those words sounded different when replayed through a television speaker.
They sounded cruel.
They sounded arrogant.
They sounded like something a person with too much authority and too little patience might say.
Rebecca rubbed her forehead.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from her older sister appeared.
"Are you okay? I saw the video."
Rebecca did not answer.
Another message followed.
"Mom is worried. Call us."
She turned the phone facedown.
The door opened.
Deputy Chief Mitchell entered with a representative from Internal Affairs.
"Officer Collins," he said, taking a seat.
Rebecca straightened.
"Sir."
"We're going to discuss the incident involving Commander Victoria Hayes."
"Yes, sir."
"Why did you stop her?"
"She was approaching an area where pedestrians were being redirected."
"Was that area closed?"
Rebecca hesitated.
"Not completely."
"Was she committing an offense?"
"I believed she was interfering with traffic control."
"Did she interfere with traffic control?"
"She questioned my instructions."
Mitchell looked at her.
"That's not the same thing."
Rebecca shifted in her chair.
"Sir, I was trying to maintain order."
"Then explain why you grabbed her."
"She pulled away."
"After you grabbed her?"
Rebecca said nothing.
Mitchell opened a folder.
"We have three independent videos. We have witness statements. We have preliminary information indicating that the sidewalk was not closed."
He paused.
"We also have a report you submitted after the incident."
Rebecca nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"In that report, you stated that Commander Hayes repeatedly attempted to obstruct police activity and physically resisted a lawful detention."
"That's what happened from my perspective."
Mitchell closed the folder.
"Your perspective does not permit you to invent facts."
Rebecca looked offended.
"I didn't invent anything."
"Then why does your report say she pushed you?"
Rebecca blinked.
"She moved her arm."
"Did she push you?"
"Not exactly."
"Did she threaten you?"
"No."
"Did she attempt to strike you?"
"No."
"Then why did you describe her as physically aggressive?"
Rebecca looked down.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then she said something that surprised even herself.
"Because she made me feel like I wasn't in control."
Mitchell stared at her.
"Explain."
"She kept questioning me. She didn't immediately do what I told her. She kept speaking calmly, like she knew more than I did."
Mitchell leaned forward.
"Officer, being questioned is part of this job. People are allowed to ask questions. Your authority does not depend on everyone agreeing with you."
Rebecca's face tightened.
"I was trying to prevent a problem."
"Instead, you created one."
The interview continued for another hour.
Rebecca was placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation.
But the story was already bigger than her.
Internal Affairs began reviewing her previous reports.
Several complaints had been filed against her during the previous three years.
Some involved aggressive questioning.
Others involved unnecessary physical contact.
A few had been dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
Now investigators were reopening them.
And the department was about to discover a pattern.
CHAPTER FOUR: THE COMMANDER'S PAST
Victoria Hayes had not always dreamed of becoming a military officer.
As a child, she had grown up in a small neighborhood on the south side of Chicago.
Her mother, Evelyn, worked as a nurse.
Her father, Samuel, served in the military and spent long periods away from home.
Their family did not have much money.
But they had something Victoria would later realize was more valuable than wealth.
They had principles.
Samuel was a quiet man.
He rarely raised his voice.
He did not believe that strength required intimidation.
When other children argued, Victoria's father taught her to listen first.
When someone insulted her, he taught her not to respond with cruelty.
When she failed, he taught her to accept responsibility.