Brooks was beginning to suspect that his current situation might be connected to decisions made by people above him. He wanted reassurance that someone would protect him if the investigation became more serious.
Harlan could have given him that reassurance.
Instead, he remembered the restricted transfer list, the old memorandum, and the conversation he had held the previous evening.
He had spent years telling himself that the decisions surrounding David Carter had been made for reasons he could defend.
But the possibility that those decisions might now be examined by an independent authority changed everything.
“Listen carefully,” Harlan said. “Do not contact witnesses. Do not discuss the details of the incident with anyone who might be involved in the review. Preserve your records, follow every instruction you receive, and speak to your representative if you need legal advice.”
Brooks stared at him.
“That's it?”
“That's what you should do.”
“You're not going to help me?”
“I am not going to interfere with an investigation.”
Brooks rose abruptly.
“After eleven years, that's what I get?”
Harlan's voice hardened.
“You get the same advice I would give any officer in your position.”
Brooks left without another word.
When the door closed, Harlan remained motionless.
He knew that Brooks's behavior on Ashford Street needed to be examined. The video made that unavoidable.
But he also knew that if investigators began tracing the history of the complaints against Brooks, they would eventually reach the people who had reviewed them.
And one of those people was Harlan himself.
He returned to his desk and opened the personnel database.
For several minutes, he stared at the list of complaints.
Then he noticed a record he had not seen before.
A document had been accessed from the archive the previous evening, using an account associated with a former records administrator.
The file reference was incomplete, but the title was visible.
Carter — Supplemental Witness Material.
Harlan felt his stomach tighten.
He clicked the record.
The system displayed a message stating that the document was unavailable because its location had not yet been verified.
He checked the access history.
The former administrator had logged in from a residential internet connection.
Harlan wrote down the name.
Then he closed the database and sat in silence.
Someone had found the file.
Someone had remembered where it was.
And if the supplemental witness material still existed, it might contain information that had never been included in the official investigation.
For the first time in many years, Harlan considered the possibility that the truth about David Carter had survived every attempt to bury it.
At 2:40 p.m., Elena Price received a call from a man who identified himself as Samuel Ortiz.
He spoke cautiously, as though every word required careful consideration.
“I heard you're reviewing the complaint I filed against Officer Brooks,” he said.
“Yes,” Elena replied. “My name is Elena Price. I'm with the Office of Public Integrity. We would like to speak with you if you're comfortable discussing what happened.”
“I don't know if I should.”
“You are not required to participate. We can explain the purpose of the review and answer your questions before you decide.”
Samuel remained silent.
Then he asked, “Will the police department know I spoke to you?”
“The review is independent. We will protect your information to the extent permitted by law, but I don't want to make promises about confidentiality that I cannot guarantee.”
“That sounds more honest than what I was told last time.”
Elena made a note.
“What were you told last time?”
Samuel gave a short, bitter laugh.
“I was told that filing a complaint was my right, that the department took every allegation seriously, and that someone would contact me when the review was complete.”
“Did they contact you?”
“Not until I hired a lawyer.”
Elena listened without interrupting.
Samuel explained that the encounter had occurred outside the apartment building where he lived. He had returned home after working a late shift and was carrying groceries when Officer Brooks approached him.
Brooks had asked what he was doing near the building.
Samuel had explained that he lived there.
The officer demanded identification.
Samuel provided it, but Brooks continued questioning him about a report involving a vehicle parked nearby.
Samuel had no connection to the vehicle.
When he asked whether he was free to leave, Brooks ordered him to stand against the wall.
The detention lasted nearly an hour.
Samuel was eventually released without being charged.
He filed a complaint the following morning.
“I thought someone would look at the facts,” he said. “There was a security camera at the entrance. My neighbor had seen the whole thing. I gave them both names and asked them to preserve the footage.”
“Did they interview the neighbor?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Did they obtain the security recording?”
“I don't know. The building manager told me someone from the department had visited, but he never said what happened afterward.”