Ethan stared at him.
ETHAN WALKER: "You want me to pretend this never happened?"
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "I'm offering you a way to avoid unnecessary trouble."
ETHAN WALKER: "You planted evidence on me and attacked me when I challenged you. What part of that do you think should be ignored?"
Michael lowered his voice.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You don't understand how complicated these things can become."
ETHAN WALKER: "Then explain the complication."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You could find yourself in a situation you can't control."
ETHAN WALKER: "I'm already in one. You created it."
Michael stopped pacing.
He looked at Ethan as if trying to decide whether the man was deliberately provoking him or simply refusing to be frightened.
The distinction no longer mattered.
The officer could not force Ethan to accept the offer without making the threat more obvious. Nor could he safely attack again without risking further scrutiny.
He had reached the limit of the methods he normally relied upon.
For a moment, Michael considered apologizing.
The thought appeared unexpectedly.
He could acknowledge that the encounter had gone too far. He could admit that he had acted aggressively and allow the incident to be examined. He could stop making threats and cooperate with the process.
The possibility existed.
But admitting the truth would mean accepting responsibility for choices he had spent years defending.
Michael could not bring himself to do it.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You have no idea what I've sacrificed for this job."
ETHAN WALKER: "I don't know your entire history."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "Exactly. You don't know the pressure, the people you deal with, or what it takes to keep control."
ETHAN WALKER: "Pressure doesn't require you to plant evidence."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "Sometimes things aren't as simple as they look."
ETHAN WALKER: "Then you should be able to explain what happened without inventing anything."
Michael looked away.
The response left no room for the excuse he wanted to use.
He had spent years telling himself that difficult circumstances justified difficult decisions. He had convinced himself that bending the rules was sometimes necessary, that intimidation could prevent greater problems, and that people who complained did not understand the realities of his work.
But those explanations had become a shield against examining his own behavior.
He had stopped asking whether his actions were lawful or fair.
He had begun asking only whether he could get away with them.
And now he was standing beside a black SUV, facing a man who refused to accept that distinction.
The distant sound of a vehicle approaching drew both men's attention toward the road.
Michael straightened immediately.
A car moved through the intersection, its headlights beginning to become more noticeable as the sunlight faded. The driver slowed briefly near the curb before continuing along the street.
Michael watched the vehicle disappear.
He had become acutely aware of how visible the confrontation might be to anyone passing nearby.
The officer adjusted his uniform and adopted a more formal posture.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "For the record, you were aggressive from the beginning."
Ethan looked at him.
ETHAN WALKER: "You can record whatever account you believe is accurate."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You were uncooperative."
ETHAN WALKER: "I answered your questions."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You refused to follow instructions."
ETHAN WALKER: "I asked you to explain the basis for your actions."
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You physically resisted me."
ETHAN WALKER: "After you shoved me against the vehicle and attacked me."
Michael pointed at him.
OFFICER MICHAEL HAYES: "You see? That's exactly what I'm talking about. You keep twisting everything."
Ethan's expression did not change.
ETHAN WALKER: "Then the facts should be straightforward to establish."
Michael lowered his hand.
The statement was difficult to challenge because it was reasonable.
If his account was accurate, a proper review should support it. If Ethan's account was accurate, the same review should reveal the inconsistencies.
Michael had spent years relying on the assumption that his version would be accepted before anyone looked closely.
Now he was being asked to rely on evidence.
The idea frightened him.
He glanced toward the plastic bag on the SUV's hood.
The small object sat motionless beneath the fading sunlight.
Michael had handled it with confidence only minutes earlier. He had displayed it as though it were proof that he had discovered a criminal offense. He had expected it to end the argument.