"Anyone go toward the kitchen?"
"No."
Brett nodded. "So, if something was brought in here, the people in this room are the people most likely to know about it."
Eli's eyes narrowed. "That isn't what I said."
"It follows from what you said."
"No, it follows from what you want it to mean."
Brett held his gaze for several seconds.
Caleb remained seated at the rear booth. He had not touched his coffee since speaking earlier. He watched Brett move from person to person, changing his approach each time: with Daniel, Brett had questioned coincidence; with Eli, he had used familiarity; with Ruth, he had threatened scrutiny without directly calling it a threat. With Maya, he used something different: he expected her to understand what he was not saying.
Brett returned to the counter. "Ruth, who had access to this place before you opened today?"
"My employees."
"Names?"
"No."
His eyebrows lifted. "No?"
"If you want employee records, ask properly."
"I'm asking properly."
"You're standing in my diner after hours making accusations you refuse to explain. That isn't proper."
Brett lowered his voice. "You really want your staff dragged into this?"
"I want you to stop using them to scare me."
"I'm trying to save you from a bigger problem."
Ruth folded the towel in her hands. "At my age, I've heard enough people say they were helping me when what they meant was they wanted me to cooperate."
Brett's eyes hardened.
Maya spoke from beside her. "He doesn't care who brought it in."
Everyone looked at her. Brett did not move.
Maya seemed to realize that she had said more than she intended, but she continued before he could take control of the moment. "If you cared who brought it in, you would be asking about entrances, deliveries, employees, and customers from earlier in the day. You're not. You keep coming back to me."
Brett stepped closer to the counter. "Maybe there's a reason."
"Then say it."
"You know the reason."
"No, I know you walked in here expecting me to be afraid of your badge."
Brett leaned forward. "This has nothing to do with fear."
"Then stop trying to create it."
Daniel shifted in his seat. Eli looked down at his hands. Ruth remained beside Maya. Brett glanced at all three before returning his eyes to her.
"You think these people are protecting you?"
"I didn't ask them to."
"They're already involved."
"You involved them."
"Because someone brought department property into this diner."
Maya's expression stayed controlled.
Brett continued. "And when I find it, everyone who helped hide it becomes part of the same investigation."
Daniel spoke from the counter. "You keep saying 'when.'"
Brett turned.
Daniel continued. "Not 'if.' You came in here already convinced it was here."
"That's because I have information you don't."
"Then show it."
"I don't answer to you."
Caleb finally spoke. "You don't have to answer to him."
Brett looked toward the rear booth.
Caleb continued in the same calm voice. "But if you want everyone in this room to accept that you're acting lawfully, sooner or later you're going to have to answer someone."
Brett left the counter and walked several steps toward him. "You've got a lot to say for a man who claims he's only a customer."