Investigator: "Did you personally experience any pressure not to report his conduct?"
Collins looked down at his hands.
Collins: "Not directly. But there was an atmosphere where people were expected to keep certain things inside the department."
Investigator: "Can you explain that?"
Collins: "If an officer made a mistake, supervisors usually wanted it handled quietly. They didn't like complaints becoming formal investigations."
Investigator: "Who encouraged that approach?"
Collins hesitated.
Collins: "I don't want to accuse anyone without evidence."
Investigator: "That's fine. We only want you to describe what you personally know."
Collins nodded.
The interview continued for another twenty minutes.
When it ended, the investigators had three consistent accounts of the confrontation and several additional leads concerning Ryan's previous behavior.
The evidence was beginning to form a clear picture.
But the most important question remained unanswered.
Had Ryan simply acted out of anger that morning, or had he been behaving this way for months because he believed his position and relationships inside the department would protect him?
At 12:40 p.m., David Brooks returned to Victoria's office with the detailed computer activity report.
He placed it on the table.
David: "The technical team has completed the first review."
Victoria looked up.
Victoria: "What did they find?"
David opened the report.
David: "Officer Mitchell logged into the security desk computer at 7:36 a.m. He opened the daily visitor schedule at 7:41. The system recorded the page remaining active for approximately three minutes."
Victoria: "Was my name visible on the first page?"
David: "Yes. Your appointment was listed under the executive command section."
Victoria looked at Richard.
Richard: "Then he had the opportunity to see it."
David continued.
David: "The detailed activity log also shows that the visitor schedule was scrolled down. We cannot yet establish whether he read every entry, but your name and appointment time were visible."
Victoria leaned back.
Victoria: "Did he open any other page?"
David: "He accessed the general visitor information page before closing the schedule."
Victoria: "Preserve the report and the original system logs."
David: "Already done."
Richard stood and walked toward the window.
Richard: "That makes his explanation difficult to accept."
Victoria: "It raises another question. If he saw my name, why did he refuse to verify the appointment when I arrived?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Victoria looked at the report again.
Victoria: "I want the investigators to put the timeline in front of him. Let him explain what he saw, what he understood, and why he chose to ignore it."
David nodded.
The room fell quiet.
Outside, the department continued operating, but the news had already begun to spread among the officers.
Some had heard that the security recordings clearly showed Ryan grabbing and punching Victoria.
Others had learned that the new chief's appointment had been visible on the security desk computer before she entered the building.
A few officers began asking whether the investigation would examine previous complaints.
One of them approached Lieutenant Price in the corridor.
Officer: "Lieutenant, is it true that they're reopening old complaints against Mitchell?"
Price looked at him.
Price: "The investigation team is reviewing all relevant information."
Officer: "There were complaints before?"
Price did not answer immediately.
Price: "If you know something relevant, you should provide a statement."
The officer glanced toward the administrative office.
Officer: "People knew he was difficult. Everyone knew."
Price's expression became serious.
Price: "Knowing someone is difficult and documenting misconduct are two different things. If there were incidents that should have been reported, now is the time to explain what happened."
The officer nodded and walked away.
Price remained in the corridor.
He began thinking about the earlier complaints and the conversations he had had with senior personnel. He remembered being told that some matters should be resolved informally. He remembered closing reports without insisting on complete witness statements.
At the time, he had considered those decisions administrative shortcuts.
Now he was beginning to wonder whether they had allowed a serious problem to continue.
A few minutes later, Captain Brooks approached him.
Captain Brooks: "Lieutenant Price, the investigation team would like to speak with you."
Price: "About this morning?"
Captain Brooks: "About this morning and previous complaints involving Officer Mitchell."
Price nodded.
Price: "I'll cooperate."
Captain Brooks: "They'll contact you with the interview time."
Price looked at her.
Price: "Captain, can I ask you something?"
Captain Brooks: "Go ahead."
Price: "Do you think the chief is going to investigate the entire department?"
Captain Brooks considered the question.