Michael stepped closer again, deliberately invading Ethan's personal space.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You got identification?"
ETHAN WALKER: "I do."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "Then show me."
Ethan did not immediately reach for his jacket.
ETHAN WALKER: "Tell me when you'd like me to retrieve it."
Michael's jaw tightened.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "Don't move until I tell you to move."
Ethan kept his hands visible.
ETHAN WALKER: "Understood."
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
The city continued moving around them. A car passed through the intersection, its windows reflecting the sunset. A delivery vehicle slowed near a building entrance before pulling away, and the distant sound of a horn briefly cut through the evening air.
Michael studied Ethan's face.
He was looking for a sign of fear, frustration, or uncertainty. Any visible reaction might allow him to change the tone of the encounter and justify a more aggressive approach.
Ethan's expression remained composed.
The officer finally looked down at the front of Ethan's black jacket.
He had used this tactic before.
When a person refused to become visibly frightened, Michael sometimes relied on a different method. He would create the appearance of a discovery, then use that supposed discovery to justify whatever he wanted to do next.
The plan depended on speed, confidence, and the assumption that the person involved would be too shocked to understand what had happened.
Michael believed he could repeat the tactic without consequences.
He moved his hand toward the front of Ethan's jacket.
Ethan watched the movement closely.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "Don't make this difficult."
ETHAN WALKER: "I'm not making anything difficult."
Michael ignored the answer.
With a quick, deliberate motion, he slipped a small clear plastic bag containing a white powder-like substance into the chest pocket of Ethan's jacket. The movement was brief, concealed beneath the appearance of a routine search.
But Ethan noticed the officer's hand entering the pocket.
He noticed the movement of the fabric.
And he noticed that Michael's hand withdrew before immediately returning to the same place.
The officer pulled out the small bag and held it up between two fingers.
His expression changed instantly.
The sternness on his face became theatrical outrage, as though he had just discovered evidence of a serious crime.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "What's this? You want to explain it?"
Ethan looked at the bag.
Then he looked at Michael.
He understood what had happened, and he understood why the officer had done it.
ETHAN WALKER: "You put that there. I saw you."
Michael raised his eyebrows, pretending to be offended.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "Are you accusing me of planting evidence?"
ETHAN WALKER: "I'm telling you exactly what I watched you do."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You'd better be careful about what you say."
ETHAN WALKER: "You should be careful about what you do."
For a moment, Michael seemed genuinely surprised.
He had expected denial, confusion, perhaps even a desperate explanation. He had not expected Ethan to identify the deception immediately.
The officer's fingers tightened around the plastic bag.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "I just discovered suspected illegal drugs in your pocket. That changes everything."
ETHAN WALKER: "No. It changes nothing about what actually happened."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You want to tell me how to do my job?"
ETHAN WALKER: "I want you to stop pretending you found something you put there yourself."
Michael's face hardened.
The warm sunlight illuminated the tension in his jaw, while the black SUV reflected their silhouettes in its dark windows.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "Turn around."
ETHAN WALKER: "For what reason?"
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "I said turn around!"
ETHAN WALKER: "You haven't explained what I've done wrong."
Michael stepped forward and seized the front of Ethan's jacket.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You want to make this difficult? Fine."
Ethan looked down at the officer's hand gripping his clothing.
ETHAN WALKER: "Let go of my jacket."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You're under arrest."
ETHAN WALKER: "On what basis?"
Michael did not answer the question.
Instead, he shoved Ethan backward.
Ethan's shoulder struck the side of the black SUV, producing a heavy metallic thud. The vehicle rocked slightly, and the sound echoed between the nearby buildings.
For an instant, the two men remained close together, the officer gripping the jacket and Ethan bracing himself against the car.