That word changed the younger officer’s expression.
Not legal instruction.
Pressure.
Eli looked toward his body camera.
Then Brooke.
“Yes.”
Grant went still.
Eli continued.
“I saw his hand make contact with you.”
Brooke swallowed.
“Where?”
Eli looked deeply uncomfortable.
“Your lower hip.”
Grant snapped:
“I was directing her away from the travel lane.”
Eli looked toward the parking lot.
“We weren’t in the lane.”
Silence.
Grant stared at his partner.
Eli’s voice shook slightly.
Brooke noticed.
Telling the truth should not have looked this frightening.
Cole noticed too.
“You did right.”
Eli looked at him.
“Respectfully, Chief, don't.”
Cole nodded.
Fair.
Praise from a retired deputy chief could itself look like influence.
“Understood.”
At 11:02, two vehicles entered.
First a white county SUV.
Second an unmarked gray sedan.
Captain Laura Kent stepped from the SUV.
Internal Affairs investigator Miguel Santos exited the sedan.
Grant’s shoulders fell by perhaps half an inch.
Captain Kent was his direct commander.
She looked toward Grant.
Then Brooke.
Cole.
Eli.
The growing motorcycle crowd.
“Everybody okay physically?”
Brooke nodded.
Cole nodded.
Eli did.
Grant answered last.
“Yes.”
Kent looked toward Brooke.
“Ms. Hayes?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Captain Laura Kent.”
“Sheriff Whitaker briefed me minimally.”
“I’d like to hear directly from you.”
Grant interrupted:
“Captain, before this turns into a circus—”
Kent raised one hand.
“Grant.”
He stopped.
“You’ll speak separately with Investigator Santos.”
“I’ve already got my body cam.”
“Good.”
“You’ll preserve it.”
Then she looked at Eli.
“You too.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Kent turned back to Brooke.
“Would you prefer to speak here, inside, or at another location?”
“Inside.”
“Okay.”
Cole started moving toward the bar.
Kent looked toward him.
“Chief.”
“Captain.”
“You’re a witness.”
“I know.”
“Separate.”
He smiled faintly.
“Still running interviews right.”
She almost smiled.
“Somebody taught me.”
Grant heard.
Of course he did.
Another connection.
Another reason he would later claim the deck had been stacked.
Cole recognized the risk.
He turned toward Brooke.
“I’ll be outside.”
She nodded.
“Thank you.”
Nothing more.
Inside, Maggie gave Brooke a private office.
Water.
Tissues.
No interrogation.
Captain Kent sat across from her.
“Before we begin, I want to tell you something.”
Brooke waited.
“You are allowed to stop at any time.”
“You are allowed to have an attorney.”
“You are allowed to decline a recorded statement today and submit later.”
Brooke nodded.
“I’ll speak.”
Kent activated a recorder.
“Start wherever you want.”
Brooke stared at the table.
Her hands had begun trembling.
She disliked that.