CHAPTER 11: A Badge Is Not a Crown

Two more officers arrived through the side door, hands resting near their belts, faces uncertain.
They saw Holt on the tile. They saw Elara standing five feet away. They saw the cameras, the stack of documents, the crowd leaning forward instead of away.
One of them asked the question Holt should have asked before touching anyone.
What happened here?
The clerk answered first. Officer Holt attempted to remove a registered speaker without producing an order. Physical contact occurred. The room recording is active.
The younger officer looked at Holt. Did you have an order?
Holt's jaw worked, but no sound came.
The answer filled the room without him.
Elara lowered her folder to the chair, finally freeing both hands. I will give a statement. I will also file charges if this department attempts to convert embarrassment into procedure.
No one laughed. The sentence was too precise to be dramatic.
The younger officer stepped back from her path.
For the first time that morning, the uniform served the law instead of the men standing near it.