OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "The original report concerns a dark SUV that may have been involved in a theft. I haven't confirmed whether the registration numbers match."
Hale examined the page.
DESK SERGEANT MARTIN HALE: "Then you need to confirm that before you make assumptions about the driver."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "I was going to."
DESK SERGEANT MARTIN HALE: "Good. Do it now."
Reynolds took the paperwork back.
He did not like being instructed to repeat work he believed he had already handled. More than that, he disliked the implication that he might have escalated the situation prematurely.
Rather than acknowledging the problem, he returned to the interview room with the intention of obtaining more information from Victoria.
Inside, she had been counting the minutes by watching the clock above the door. She could not tell exactly how long she had been detained, but enough time had passed for the initial shock to give way to a more focused determination.
She needed to establish a clear record of what had happened. She needed access to her phone, confirmation of the intake details, and an opportunity to contact someone who could help her resolve the situation.
Most importantly, she needed the officer to stop treating her identity as a matter of personal opinion.
When Reynolds entered, Victoria immediately looked toward the folder in his hand.
VICTORIA HAYES: "Have you verified the registration?"
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "We're still processing the information."
VICTORIA HAYES: "That should have been the first step."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "You don't get to decide the order of my investigation."
VICTORIA HAYES: "I don't decide your procedures. I am telling you that the evidence you need has been available since the beginning."
Reynolds pulled out his chair and sat down.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "Let's return to your employment. You said you work for the state."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Yes."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "What is your position?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "I'm a senior attorney in the state legal office."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "And you expect me to accept that without proof?"
VICTORIA HAYES: "No. I expect you to verify it."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "How convenient."
VICTORIA HAYES: "What would be convenient is if you checked the records instead of questioning whether I look like the person I say I am."
The room fell silent.
Reynolds looked at her sharply.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "What exactly are you suggesting?"
Victoria held his gaze.
VICTORIA HAYES: "I'm suggesting that you've made assumptions about me and then treated those assumptions as evidence. I've given you several ways to verify the facts, and you have continued to ignore them."
Reynolds stood so quickly that his chair scraped against the floor.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "Be careful about making accusations."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Then be careful about making them yourself."
For a moment, neither moved.
Victoria understood that her words might anger him further, but she had reached the point where silence no longer seemed useful. She had cooperated. She had answered his questions. She had offered documentation. She had explained her occupation.
Nothing had changed because he had not made a serious effort to confirm the information.
She did not raise her voice. She did not insult him. She simply refused to pretend that the problem was her failure to cooperate.
Reynolds stared at her before looking away.
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "I'm going to check your story."
VICTORIA HAYES: "Please do."
He turned toward the door.
VICTORIA HAYES: "And I would like the handcuffs removed if there is no basis for keeping me restrained."
OFFICER JACK REYNOLDS: "We'll discuss that later."
VICTORIA HAYES: "You have already kept me here without explaining the evidence against me. Please don't make another decision before checking the facts."
Reynolds stopped with his hand on the door handle.
For a brief second, it seemed as though he might answer her. Instead, he opened the door and walked into the corridor.
Victoria leaned back against the chair, careful not to place pressure on her wrists.
The interview had not resolved anything, but she had learned something important. The questions were no longer limited to whether the vehicle was stolen. They had expanded to whether the officer was willing to accept information that contradicted his first impression.
She could not control what Reynolds believed.
She could, however, continue asking for verifiable answers.
In the corridor, Reynolds approached a computer terminal near the desk sergeant's station. Hale was speaking with another officer, but he turned when Reynolds stopped beside the desk.