Michael arrived a few minutes later, carrying a leather briefcase.
He greeted Daniel and introduced himself.
"I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Thank you."
"Before we begin, I want to make something clear. We don't know what Laura intends to tell us. We should listen carefully, avoid making assumptions, and document everything."
Daniel nodded.
At eleven forty-five, a woman entered the coffee shop.
She appeared to be in her early forties. She wore a gray jacket, black trousers, and a simple necklace. Her expression suggested that she had spent considerable time debating whether to come.
She looked around the room.
Emily raised her hand.
"Laura?"
The woman approached.
"Emily?"
"Yes. Thank you for meeting us."
Laura sat down.
For several seconds, she looked at Daniel.
"I'm sorry about what happened to you."
Daniel gave a tired smile.
"Thank you."
Laura placed a folder on the table.
"I used to work for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office."
Michael leaned forward.
"In what capacity?"
"Administrative support. I handled records, internal correspondence, and some documentation related to disciplinary reviews."
"How long did you work there?"
"Almost nine years."
Michael nodded.
"And you knew Officer Harlan?"
Laura looked down at her coffee.
"Unfortunately, yes."
Emily exchanged a glance with Daniel.
"What do you mean by unfortunately?"
Laura took a deep breath.
"Richard Harlan had a reputation. Not everyone liked working with him. Some officers thought he was aggressive. Others believed he was simply difficult."
"Was he involved in previous incidents?" Michael asked.
Laura opened the folder.
"There were complaints."
"How many?"
"I can't give you an exact number without reviewing the records. But I remember at least four separate complaints that raised concerns about his conduct."
Daniel leaned forward.
"What happened to those complaints?"
Laura hesitated.
"Some were dismissed. One resulted in additional training. Another was classified as inconclusive."
"Why?"
"Insufficient evidence."
Emily frowned.
"Were there recordings?"
"Not that I remember."
Laura opened another document.
"But there was one incident that I never forgot."
Michael watched her carefully.
"Tell us about it."
"About three years ago, a delivery driver named Marcus Hill was stopped near a shopping center. He claimed Harlan had accused him of reaching for something inside his vehicle. The driver said he had been trying to retrieve his registration."
Daniel's expression changed.
"That sounds familiar."
"It should. The description is almost identical."
Laura continued.
"Marcus filed a complaint. He said Harlan grabbed him, pushed him against his vehicle, and damaged the driver's side mirror."
"Was there video?"
"No. But a nearby business had an exterior security camera."
Michael immediately asked:
"Was that footage preserved?"
Laura shook her head.
"I don't know. The complaint was eventually closed."
"On what grounds?"
"According to the summary, the officer's actions were considered reasonable under the circumstances."
Emily felt a chill.
"What circumstances?"
Laura looked at her.
"That was exactly the problem. The report contained statements that Marcus disputed."
Daniel leaned back.
For a moment, he seemed unable to speak.
He had spent the previous night wondering whether his experience had been a misunderstanding.
Now he was hearing that another man might have gone through something remarkably similar.
"Did Marcus ever receive compensation?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know."
"Did anyone investigate properly?"
Laura looked uncomfortable.
"I can't tell you what happened behind closed doors. I can only tell you what I remember from the records I handled."
Michael closed the folder.
"Laura, we need to be careful here. If you have documents that you are legally permitted to share, we can review them. But we cannot use confidential records obtained without authorization."
"I understand."
"Are these copies you are legally allowed to possess?"
Laura shook her head.
"No. I don't have official copies. I only remember the cases."
Michael nodded.
"Then we will treat this as information that may help identify relevant public records, not as proof of misconduct."
Laura seemed relieved.
"I don't want to cause problems for anyone who isn't involved."
Daniel looked at her.
"Why are you helping us?"
Laura remained silent for a moment.
Then she answered.
"Because I have watched people get ignored for too long."
She folded her hands.
"When I worked there, I believed the system would eventually correct itself. I thought that if someone made a mistake, a supervisor would notice. If a complaint was valid, someone would investigate. If an officer crossed a line, there would be consequences."
She paused.
"But after a while, I realized that paperwork could make almost anything look ordinary."