"And you didn't see everything."
Daniel frowned. "How do you know my name?"
"You paid with a card."
Daniel looked toward the register, but Brett had already moved on. He stopped beside Eli's booth.
"You know me, Eli."
Eli looked up. "Most people in Briarwood know you."
"Have I ever caused trouble in this diner?"
"No."
"Have I ever given you a reason to be afraid of me?"
Eli looked at Brett, then toward Maya. "Not before tonight."
Brett's expression tightened, but he did not answer. He returned to the counter.
"Last chance, Maya. Give it to me."
Maya folded her arms. "Give you what?"
"You know what."
"Then describe it."
Brett stared at her.
"If you believe I'm holding police property," Maya said, "tell everyone here exactly what you're looking for."
"You don't need to know that."
"Then how could I know where it is?"
Brett did not answer. His attention shifted to the area behind the counter: he examined the register, the receipt boxes, the shelves beneath the coffee station, and the cabinet near the pie case.
When he stepped toward the opening behind the counter, Ruth moved into his path. "No."
Brett stopped. "Are you obstructing an officer?"
"Are you searching my business?"
Neither one moved.
Caleb spoke from the rear booth. "If this is official, call whoever is on duty and handle it properly."
Brett turned toward him. "And who are you? A customer? Then stay one."
Caleb kept his hands on the table. "That's what I'm trying to do."
Brett studied him briefly before turning away. Then he looked at Maya again. "You're making this harder than it needs to be."
"No," Maya said. "You came in here expecting everyone to do whatever you said because you put a badge on the counter."
"I came here to recover department property."
"Then identify it."
Brett's voice hardened. "You don't get to decide how I conduct an investigation."
"And you don't get to create one just because people won't cooperate with you."
Daniel looked from Maya to Brett. Eli remained silent, while Ruth stayed beside the opening behind the counter.
Brett lowered his voice. "Who gave it to you?"
Maya said nothing.
"Was it someone from the department?"
She continued watching him.
"Did someone tell you to hide it here?"
Maya finally answered, "You're asking a lot of questions about something you still refuse to identify."
Brett moved closer. "You know what I'm looking for."
Maya waited a moment before replying. "You don't know where it is."
Brett stopped. Caleb saw the change immediately.
"So, it exists," Brett said.
Maya realized what she had revealed, but her expression remained controlled. "I said, 'You don't know where it is.' That's enough."
"No, it isn't."
Brett kept his attention fixed on her. Until that point, he had been trying to determine where the missing property might be hidden. Now, his questions had changed: he was no longer searching the diner; he was searching Maya.
Brett kept his attention on Maya, but he did not ask another question immediately. Instead, he stepped away from the counter and looked around the diner as if reconsidering everyone in the room.