Then a resolution that would allow him to stop organizing his days around the behavior of one former officer.
He reviewed the list.
For the first time, the decision felt manageable.
He informed his attorney that he was willing to participate in a properly arranged legal discussion, but only under conditions that protected his rights and dignity.
He would not meet privately.
He would not accept pressure.
And he would not sign a statement describing the incident as a harmless misunderstanding.
If there was to be a resolution, it had to begin with truth.
The meeting took place in a quiet conference room inside a neutral office building.
The engineer arrived early.
He wore a charcoal jacket over a light blue shirt and dark trousers. His prosthetic leg was visible beneath the fabric when he walked.
The restored silver watch rested on his left wrist.
He had considered leaving it at home.
Then he decided against it.
The watch was his.
He did not need to hide it because of what someone else had done.
His attorney sat beside him.
Across the table were the former officer and his legal representative.
The engineer recognized him immediately.
His blond hair was shorter.
His shoulders appeared narrower without the uniform.
He wore an ordinary dark shirt, and the confidence that had once defined his every movement seemed to have vanished.
For a moment, neither man spoke.
The engineer remembered the scorching afternoon on Mercer Avenue.
The officer's hand closing around his wrist.
The shove.
The uneven shoulder beneath his prosthesis.
The sharp metallic crack of the watch striking the cruiser hood.
The memories arrived with uncomfortable clarity.
Then the former officer looked toward his wrist.
His expression changed.
"That's the watch?"
The engineer answered quietly.
"Yes."
"I thought it was destroyed."
"It was damaged."
The former officer swallowed.
"I see."
The attorneys began outlining the purpose of the meeting.
The discussion was careful and formal.
The engineer listened.
He had no intention of allowing the encounter to become another contest of intimidation.
Eventually, the former officer requested permission to speak directly.
The engineer's attorney looked toward him.
He nodded.
The former officer folded his hands on the table.
"I've had a lot of time to think about what happened."
The engineer remained silent.