The lawyer stopped.
Josephine looked from the attorney to Hale.
“Officer.”
Hale turned back.
“Take your hand away from your restraints.”
He looked down.
His right hand had moved instinctively toward his belt.
He smiled.
“You giving me commands now?”
“I am telling you this encounter is being witnessed.”
“Good.”
He pointed toward the courtroom corridor.
“Move.”
Josephine did not.
His hand closed around her upper arm.
The entire hallway changed.
People stopped pretending not to watch.
Josephine looked down at his hand.
Then back at his face.
“Remove your hand.”
“Walk.”
“Remove your hand from me.”
“You’re being detained.”
“For what?”
“Failure to comply.”
“With what lawful order?”
Hale tightened his grip.
Josephine’s lips compressed.
Pain shot beneath the sleeve of her coat.
“Hale.”
The way she said his name made him feel challenged.
“Move.”
Josephine pulled her arm backward.
Not violently.
Just enough to free herself.
Hale’s expression transformed.
“There.”
Josephine stared.
“There what?”
“You resisted.”
“No.”
“I told you to move.”
“You were unlawfully gripping my arm.”
Hale stepped toward her again.
Josephine lifted one hand.
“Do not touch me.”
He grabbed her wrist.
She twisted free.
The briefcase slipped from her other hand and struck the floor.
The latches snapped open.
Papers scattered across the polished hallway.
Some slid beneath benches.
Others spread between the shoes of stunned lawyers and court employees.
Josephine looked down.
One sheet stopped beside Hale’s boot.
Across the top were the words:
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
Beneath it:
EMERGENCY EVIDENTIARY HEARING
Hale did not look.
He was too angry.
“Turn around.”
Josephine slowly lifted her face.
“You need to stop.”
“Turn around.”
“You have already made an unlawful detention.”
“Turn.”
“You have used unnecessary force.”
“Last warning.”
“And your body camera is not recording.”
Hale froze.
Josephine had noticed the dark indicator on his chest.
So had several people around them.
Hale looked down involuntarily.
The camera appeared inactive.
Josephine continued.
“Interesting.”
That single word tipped him over.
His open hand struck the left side of her face.
The slap echoed down the courthouse corridor.
Josephine’s head snapped sideways.
Her sunglasses fell.
Her lower lip caught against a tooth.
The taste of blood came immediately.
Nobody moved.
Not for a full second.