“Captain, this is insane.”
Hale ignored him.
“Officer Malik.”
Priya straightened.
“Yes, sir?”
“Go to the south stairwell.”
“Nobody leaves without my authorization.”
“Yes, sir.”
She moved.
Reyes looked toward the hall.
Maya said quietly:
“Don't.”
He turned.
“What?”
“You're thinking about your phone.”
Reyes stared.
“It's in your right cargo pocket.”
His right hand stopped moving.
Maya continued.
“If you touch it before Captain Hale secures it, that becomes part of my report too.”
Reyes laughed, but no humor remained.
“You think you can walk in here and take over a precinct?”
Maya lifted her cuffed hands.
“I didn't walk in.”
“You brought me.”
Hale looked at Reyes.
“Phone.”
Reyes did not move.
“Captain—”
“Put your phone on the desk.”
“This is my personal property.”
“You can hand it to me voluntarily while we determine what happened, or Agent Brooks can contact the federal public-corruption squad and we can all spend the evening learning how quickly this gets worse.”
Reyes stared at him.
Maya said nothing.
Finally, Reyes pulled the phone from his pocket.
Set it down.
Hale took it.
Then he removed the handcuff key from Reyes's belt.
He crouched beside Maya.
She stopped him again.
“Wait.”
Hale looked up.
“Why?”
Maya raised her wrists slightly.
“Photograph them first.”
Reyes muttered something under his breath.
Hale heard.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Good.”
Officer Malik returned with another supervisor.
The garage and stairwells were secured.
Maya allowed the cuffs to be removed.
Red marks circled both wrists.
Priya photographed them using department evidence camera.
Maya flexed her fingers.
Then stood.
Reyes instinctively took one step backward.
Maya picked up her credential wallet from the desk.
She examined it.
“Who touched this?”
Reyes scoffed.
“Seriously?”
She looked toward Priya.
“I did.”
“Anyone else?”
“The sergeant.”
“Officer Chen looked at it.”
Chen raised a hand awkwardly.
Maya nodded.
“Thank you.”
Reyes said:
“What exactly are you accusing me of?”
Maya closed the wallet.