Airport counsel opened notebook.
Marcus looked at McBride.
“How it looks?”
McBride caught it.
“I mean what occurred.”
“Do you know what occurred?”
“We are reviewing.”
“Then don’t apologize yet.”
The chief stared.
Marcus continued:
“Preserve everything.”
“We have.”
“Officer Vance’s body camera was off.”
Chen spoke.
“We know.”
“Why?”
“His device logs are being examined.”
“Terminal video?”
“Preserved.”
“Radio?”
“Yes.”
“Passenger video?”
“We are collecting voluntary copies.”
Marcus nodded.
McBride said:
“Officer Vance has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Paid?”
Counsel answered:
“Under policy.”
Marcus nodded again.
He was not outraged.
Due process applied to officers too.
McBride relaxed slightly.
Then Marcus asked:
“Prior complaints?”
The chief’s face changed.
Small.
But there.
Marcus noticed.
Chen did too.
McBride said:
“We cannot discuss personnel history.”
Marcus leaned back.
“That means yes.”
Counsel intervened.
“Captain, personnel records are confidential during active review.”
“I didn’t ask you to disclose names.”
“I asked whether this department is checking whether today fits a pattern.”
Commander Chen spoke before McBride.
“Yes.”
The chief glanced at her.
Marcus saw.
Interesting.
“Good.”
McBride folded his hands.
“I want you to understand Officer Vance had received reports of an individual impersonating military personnel inside the airport.”
Marcus frowned.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“Description?”
Counsel shifted.
Chen answered.
“Male.”
“That’s not a description.”
“Black male.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Age?”
Chen hesitated.
“Approximately twenty to thirty.”
Marcus was forty-eight.
“Height?”
“Five-nine.”
Marcus was six-two.
“Uniform?”
“Army camouflage.”
Silence.
Marcus stared at McBride.
The chief’s face tightened.
Marcus asked:
“And that is the basis for stopping me?”
“We don’t know yet what information Officer Vance relied upon.”
Marcus said:
“I do.”
He looked at Chen.
“He told me he knew my uniform was fake because my ribbons were wrong.”
Chen made a note.
McBride said: