He moved around the side of the bench, pretending to glance at something beyond the trees. As he passed close to Marcus, his hand moved toward the outer pocket of the olive-green jacket. The motion was brief, practiced, and deliberately hidden by the angle of his body.
A small transparent plastic bag containing a white powdery substance disappeared into the pocket.
Marcus remained focused on his phone.
He had no reason to suspect that anything had happened. He felt no unusual movement through the jacket and heard nothing beyond the ordinary sounds of the park. By the time Lawson stepped away, the officer had already begun preparing the next part of his performance.
Lawson turned, walked a few steps down the path, and then came back with a different expression.
His shoulders stiffened. His face became hard. He positioned himself directly in front of the bench, blocking part of Marcus's view of the path.
Only then did Marcus lift his eyes from the screen.
Officer Lawson: "Afternoon. What are you doing here?"
Marcus Reed: "Taking a break. Is there a problem?"
Officer Lawson: "I asked what you're doing here."
Marcus looked at him for a moment, surprised by the tone but not yet concerned.
Marcus Reed: "I'm sitting in the park, checking my messages. Am I not allowed to do that?"
Lawson's eyes narrowed.
Officer Lawson: "Don't get smart with me."
Marcus lowered his phone slightly.
Marcus Reed: "I'm answering your question."
For an instant, Lawson seemed irritated that the conversation had not produced the fear he expected. He glanced at Marcus's jacket, then back at his face.
Officer Lawson: "Stand up."
Marcus studied him.
Marcus Reed: "Could you tell me why?"
Officer Lawson: "Because I told you to stand up."
Marcus slowly placed his phone on the bench beside him and rose to his feet. He was taller than Lawson had expected, with broad shoulders and a solid build. But he made no threatening movement. His hands remained visible, and his expression showed more confusion than anger.
Marcus Reed: "Now will you tell me what's going on?"
Lawson stepped closer.
Officer Lawson: "I've been watching you. Something about you doesn't look right."
Marcus almost laughed at the vagueness of the statement, but he decided against it. He had encountered people who confused suspicion with proof before. Arguing over an undefined feeling would accomplish nothing.
Marcus Reed: "What exactly did you see me do?"
Officer Lawson: "You're asking too many questions."
Marcus Reed: "You approached me. You ordered me to stand. I think it's reasonable to ask why."
The officer's hand moved toward the jacket pocket.
Marcus noticed the movement, but he did not yet understand its purpose. He shifted his attention from Lawson's face to the officer's hand.
Lawson reached into the pocket and withdrew the transparent bag.
He held it between two fingers, raising it high enough for anyone nearby to see.
Officer Lawson: "Well, look at that. What do we have here?"
For a second, Marcus could only stare.
He recognized the bag as something he had never seen before. The white substance inside caught the sunlight. Lawson held it with the satisfaction of a man who believed he had just produced the perfect piece of evidence.
Marcus Reed: "Where did that come from?"
Officer Lawson: "You tell me."
Marcus Reed: "That isn't mine."
Officer Lawson: "You were carrying it in your jacket."
Marcus Reed: "I have never seen that bag before."
Lawson shook his head as though the answer confirmed his suspicion.
Officer Lawson: "That's what they all say."
Marcus's confusion began to turn into anger. He glanced at his jacket pocket, then at the bag, trying to understand how something could have appeared in his clothing without his knowledge.
He remembered the officer walking around the bench. He remembered the brief movement near his side, although at the time it had seemed like nothing more than an ordinary gesture.
Now the memory took on a different meaning.
Marcus Reed: "You put that there."
Lawson's expression changed. The corners of his mouth tightened, and his eyes became colder.
Officer Lawson: "Be very careful about accusing me of something like that."
Marcus Reed: "I was sitting here using my phone. You walked up, started ordering me around, and now you're holding something I have never seen before."
Officer Lawson: "So you're saying I planted it?"
Marcus Reed: "I'm saying that bag wasn't in my pocket before you came over."
Lawson took another step forward, making sure his body blocked Marcus from the nearest section of the path.
Officer Lawson: "You want to explain that to a judge?"
Marcus looked around. A few people had begun to notice the confrontation, but nobody had come closer. The elderly man with the dog had stopped near a tree. One of the teenagers had turned his head to watch. A woman carrying a shopping bag slowed her pace before continuing toward the fountain.