HELEN: "This is the moment after you pulled him from the booth. Do you dispute that?"
Hollister's jaw tightened.
HOLLISTER: "I was trying to control the situation."
HELEN: "Was Mr. Hayes armed?"
HOLLISTER: "I don't recall."
HELEN: "Did he make a threat?"
HOLLISTER: "Not a specific one."
HELEN: "Did he attempt to strike you?"
Hollister looked at the images again.
HOLLISTER: "He was moving around."
Helen closed the folder.
HELEN: "Sheriff, the available footage does not appear to support the description in your report."
Hollister leaned forward.
HOLLISTER: "You weren't there."
HELEN: "That's why we are reviewing the recordings and witness statements."
The sheriff sat back.
For the first time, his confidence seemed less certain.
Helen moved to the next document.
HELEN: "Now I want to discuss the proposed access route across Mr. Hayes's property."
HOLLISTER: "That's a county matter."
HELEN: "We are aware of that. Your department appears in the correspondence."
She placed a printed email on the table.
HELEN: "Did you communicate with Commissioner Wayne Hollister about the property?"
The sheriff glanced at the page.
HOLLISTER: "I communicate with county officials regularly."
HELEN: "Did you discuss the possibility of detaining Walter Hayes before the public meeting?"
Hollister's expression hardened.
HOLLISTER: "No."
HELEN: "Did you discuss preventing him from attending?"
HOLLISTER: "Absolutely not."
Helen looked at him.
HELEN: "Then you should have no difficulty providing your communications and explaining the timing of the arrest."
Hollister closed his folder.
HOLLISTER: "I believe this interview has gone far enough."
HELEN: "We have not finished."
HOLLISTER: "I have nothing else to say."
He stood.
Helen remained seated.
HELEN: "You are not being asked to make a public statement. You are being asked to answer questions about an official complaint."
Hollister stared at her.
Then he walked out.
Helen made a note of the time.
She had not expected him to cooperate fully.
But his refusal did not end the investigation.
It simply meant that the records would have to speak for themselves.
Over the next several days, the county's position began to weaken.
The attorney obtained confirmation that the proposed easement had not received the final judicial approval required for permanent access.
A temporary administrative notice could not replace the necessary legal process.
The county was instructed not to enter the disputed property while the matter was reviewed.
The timber company suspended its planned work.
Wayne Hollister issued a statement claiming that the county had acted in good faith and would cooperate with the review.
But the statement did not answer the questions raised by the emails.
The sheriff's department also faced a separate review of its handling of Walter's arrest.
The records showed that Walter had requested medical assistance several times.
The first formal medical assessment had not been completed until Rebecca Lawson arrived.
The department's own camera system had recorded the confrontation in the corridor.
The footage showed Hollister grabbing Walter's jacket and forcing him against the wall.
It also showed Cole standing nearby.
The deputy did not strike Walter, but he had failed to intervene immediately.
When asked about the recording, Cole provided a statement.
He admitted that he had been uncomfortable with the sheriff's behavior.
He confirmed that Walter had not threatened Hollister during the corridor confrontation.
He also confirmed that Walter had repeatedly requested medical attention.
The statement was difficult for Cole to give.
He knew it could affect his career.
But once he had decided to tell the truth, he no longer wanted to return to the old habit of pretending that nothing had happened.
Walter learned about the statement from the attorney.
He did not celebrate.
He simply nodded.
WALTER: "I'm glad he finally spoke."
Tessa looked at him.
TESSA: "You don't blame him?"
WALTER: "He should have acted sooner. But he did the right thing by telling the truth now."
TESSA: "That's more generous than most people would be."
Walter shrugged.
WALTER: "I've made mistakes too."
He looked toward the window.
WALTER: "The point is what you do after you realize you've made one."
The investigation continued.
Then, on a Thursday morning, the oversight office issued an interim finding.
It stated that the available evidence raised serious concerns about the sheriff's conduct during the diner incident and the subsequent detention.
The office recommended that Hollister be removed from direct involvement in the case while the investigation proceeded.
The county executive accepted the recommendation.
Hollister was placed on administrative leave.
The announcement spread quickly through Clearwater County.
Some residents were shocked.
Others were relieved.
Several people who had previously refused to speak began contacting the oversight office.
They described traffic stops, questionable citations, intimidation, and incidents in which the sheriff had used his authority to silence criticism.
Not every allegation could be verified.
But the number of complaints suggested that Walter's experience was not isolated.
The county commission also announced that the proposed access easement would be suspended pending legal review.
Wayne Hollister was asked to recuse himself from decisions involving the timber company and Walter's property.