Officer Travis Cole.
Marcus had not come to arrest him.
Not yet.
He had come to speak with Lieutenant Rachel Moreno, the watch commander, because someone had accessed sealed evidence two nights earlier using a retired sergeant’s credentials.
Marcus believed Moreno might be the confidential source who had contacted federal investigators through the district attorney’s office.
Now Travis had put him in handcuffs.
Marcus looked toward the ceiling camera again.
Travis noticed.
“What are you looking at?”
Marcus said nothing.
Travis followed his gaze.
The camera.
Something changed in his face.
Small.
But Marcus saw it.
Travis reached toward his bodycam.
Marcus spoke immediately.
“Don’t.”
Travis looked at him.
“Don’t what?”
“Touch your camera.”
Travis laughed.
“You don’t give orders here.”
“No.”
Marcus’s eyes shifted toward Miller.
“But Officer Miller just watched you reach for it.”
Miller’s expression tightened.
Travis lowered his hand.
The hallway door opened.
Lieutenant Rachel Moreno entered.
Forty-seven, Latina, dark hair tied back, uniform sleeves rolled to the elbows.
She took three steps.
Then stopped.
Her eyes moved from Travis.
To Marcus.
To the cuffs.
To the black credential wallet lying facedown beside the brown evidence envelope.
All the color left her face.
“What happened?”
Travis answered quickly.
“Fake federal credentials.”
Moreno stared at him.
“Who verified that?”
“I did.”
“How?”
Travis did not answer.
Moreno walked to the counter.
Marcus watched her.
She reached for the credential.
Travis blocked her hand.
“Lieutenant, I’ve got it.”
Moreno looked at his hand.
Then at his face.
“Move.”
Travis hesitated.
“Cole.”
He moved.
Moreno picked up the wallet.
Opened it.
Read the identification.
Then looked at Marcus.
Something passed between them.
Recognition.
Not personal.
Professional.
She had seen his name before.
Marcus knew immediately.
She was the source.
Or at least connected to the source.
Moreno whispered:
“Special Agent Reed?”
Travis’s expression changed.
Miller exhaled.
Marcus nodded once.
Moreno turned toward Travis.
“What did you do?”
Travis stepped back.
“He came in acting suspicious.”
“He showed you this.”
“Could be fake.”
“Did you call anyone?”
“No.”
“Did you verify the identification number?”
“No.”
“Did you contact federal dispatch?”
“No.”
“Then why is he in cuffs?”
Travis’s face reddened.
“Because he refused directions.”
Marcus said:
“I refused none.”
Travis turned.
“Shut up.”
Moreno’s eyes widened.
“Cole.”
The room went silent.
Moreno pointed toward Marcus.
“Take them off.”
Travis did not move.
“Now.”
He reached toward the cuffs.
Then the main booking-room doors opened.
Not gently.
Two investigators entered first.
Dark suits.
County identification clipped at their belts.
Behind them came District Attorney Evelyn Cross.
Fifty-two years old.
Black.
Tall.
Dark-gray suit.
Pearl earrings.
The sort of controlled expression that made people lower their voices without knowing why.
Marcus knew Evelyn well.
They had been coordinating the corruption inquiry for six weeks.
She was not supposed to arrive for another twenty minutes.
Marcus looked at the clock.
11:42.
Apparently something had moved early.
Evelyn saw him.
Then the cuffs.
Then Travis’s hand near the locking mechanism.
She stopped.
The room stopped with her.
“Do not remove those cuffs yet.”
Everyone froze.
Marcus lifted one eyebrow.
That was not the reaction he expected.
Travis looked relieved for half a second.
Then Evelyn pointed at the ceiling.
“Nobody touches a camera.”
Her voice was not loud.
It did not need to be.
She looked toward Investigator Daniel Cho beside her.
“Lock preservation on building surveillance.”
Cho already had his phone out.
“Every interior camera?”
“Every camera.”
“Booking.”
“Hallways.”
“Evidence.”
“Parking lot.”
“Interview rooms.”
“Rear entrance.”
“Sixty days minimum.”
Cho nodded.
Evelyn looked toward her second investigator, Melissa Grant.
“Bodycams.”
“All officers on this floor.”
“Immediately.”
“Send notice to city IT that overwrite suspension is effective now.”
Grant moved.
Travis stared.
“What is this?”
Evelyn turned toward him.
“Officer Cole?”
“Yes.”
“Step away from Agent Reed.”
Travis did.
Evelyn walked to the counter.
She saw the credential.
Then the evidence envelope.
Her expression changed.
“Who moved that?”
Silence.
She pointed.
“Case 22-4187.”
Moreno looked at Travis.
Travis looked toward Miller.
Miller shook his head quickly.
“Wasn’t me.”
Evelyn’s eyes returned to Travis.
“Officer Cole?”
“It was already there.”
“When?”
“When I came in.”
“What time?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then don’t guess.”
Evelyn looked toward Marcus.
“Are you injured?”
“No.”
“Did you resist?”
“No.”
“Did you identify yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Credential?”
Marcus nodded toward the counter.
Evelyn opened it.
Looked.
Then closed it.
She faced Travis.
“This credential is authentic.”
Travis swallowed.
“How do you know?”
Evelyn’s gaze sharpened.
“Because Special Agent Marcus Reed and I were scheduled to meet Lieutenant Moreno here at noon regarding an active joint investigation.”
Every officer in the room became still.
Travis looked at Moreno.
Moreno looked at the floor.
Evelyn continued.
“Agent Reed arrived early.”
Marcus said:
“Eleven seventeen.”
Evelyn nodded.
“He was instructed to enter through the public booking entrance so his visit would appear routine.”
Travis’s mouth opened.
Nothing came.
Evelyn looked at the cuffs.
Then toward the ceiling camera.
“And instead, you provided us with approximately twenty-five minutes of additional evidence.”
The word landed heavily.
Evidence.
Travis found his voice.