The room became still. Daniel looked at Maya; Eli glanced toward Ruth; Caleb watched Brett.
Maya did not react immediately. "What card?"
Brett seemed to realize what he had said: he changed his wording. "The department property."
"No," Maya said. "You said 'card.'"
Brett's jaw tightened.
Daniel spoke from several feet away. "So that's what you've been looking for?"
Brett ignored him.
Maya continued. "What kind of card?"
"That doesn't concern anyone here."
"It concerns me if you're accusing me of having it."
"I know you know what I mean."
"Then identify it."
Brett took another step toward her. Caleb shifted slightly; Brett noticed.
"Stay back."
Caleb stopped. "I'm not touching you."
"You already did."
"And I stopped when she was free."
Brett stared at him. "You think that protects you?"
"No. I think the people in this room saw what happened."
Brett looked around: Daniel met his eyes; Eli did, too; Ruth remained beside Maya. For the first time, Brett appeared to understand that he could no longer control the room through silence.
He pulled a radio from his belt: he gave the dispatcher the diner's location and requested officers for assistance with a disturbance involving department property and interference with a detention.
Maya looked at him. "You're calling this interference?"
"I'm documenting what happened."
"You're documenting your version."
"That's how reports work."
"No," Maya said. "Reports are supposed to record what happened."
Brett returned the radio to his belt. "You should be more worried about what happens when they get here."
"I'm worried about exactly that."
Ruth looked at Maya, but Maya gave no explanation. Caleb returned to the edge of his booth, but did not sit.
Brett noticed. "You planning to leave?"
"No."
"Good."
Caleb glanced toward the front door. "I thought leaving made people suspicious."
Brett did not answer.
A few minutes later, the first uniformed officers entered the diner; a second pair followed shortly after. Brett moved toward them before anyone else could speak.
"Officer Kellen," one of them said. "What happened?"
Brett answered immediately. "I received information that department property had been brought to this location. I came to confirm and recover it. Maya Williams refused to cooperate and attempted to interfere with the recovery. I temporarily detained her for further investigation. That man stepped in and physically interfered with the detention." He pointed toward Caleb.
Caleb said nothing.
Brett continued, "I used only control measures. He grabbed my arm and forced me to release her."
Daniel shook his head. "That's not how it happened."
One officer raised a hand. "Sir, we'll get everybody's statement."
Brett looked at him. "She has the property, or she knows where it is."
Maya folded her arms. "Ask him what the property is."
The officer turned toward Brett.
Brett answered carefully. "Sensitive department material."
"What kind of material?"
"I'm not discussing that in an open room."
Maya looked toward Daniel: Daniel understood the problem now. Brett had spent the evening refusing to identify the object, but he had already told enough of the truth to make everyone else look involved.