The city looked different after midnight.
During the day, the streets were crowded with commuters, delivery trucks, buses, and people rushing from one appointment to another. At night, however, the same roads became long ribbons of empty asphalt illuminated by scattered streetlights.
Daniel Carter preferred the city at night.
It gave him time to think.
He drove his silver sedan along the interstate with both hands resting calmly on the steering wheel. His suit jacket was still buttoned, although his tie had loosened slightly after a fourteen-hour day.
It had been a difficult day.
A long meeting.
Two difficult negotiations.
One unexpected resignation from a senior employee.
And an emergency call from the mayor's office that had kept him at headquarters until nearly midnight.
Daniel was exhausted.
But he was also satisfied.
He had spent most of his adult life working toward a position that few people ever reached.
At forty-one, he had recently been appointed Deputy Commissioner of the city's police department.
It was a position he had never imagined holding when he was younger.
His father had been a patrol officer.
His mother had worked as a nurse.
Neither had possessed much money, but both had taught Daniel the same lesson.
"Authority means nothing if people cannot trust the person holding it."
Daniel had remembered those words throughout his career.
He had joined the department as a young patrol officer, worked nights, completed additional training, earned promotions, and eventually moved into administrative leadership.
He had seen good officers.
He had seen bad officers.
He had seen mistakes.
He had also seen how quickly one bad decision could destroy years of public trust.
That was why he took his job seriously.
Tonight, he was simply trying to get home.
Then he saw the flashing lights.
Red.
Blue.
Red.
Blue.
Daniel glanced into his rearview mirror.
A police cruiser was behind him.
He checked his speed.
He was under the limit.
He hadn't changed lanes illegally.
His headlights were working.
For a moment, he wondered whether the officer was responding to something else.
Then the cruiser moved closer.
The lights continued flashing.
Daniel sighed.
He activated his turn signal and pulled onto the shoulder.
The silver sedan stopped.
Daniel lowered his window.
Cold night air entered the car.
A police officer approached.
He was a white man in his forties, broad-shouldered, with short brown hair and a serious expression.
Daniel recognized the uniform.
But he did not recognize the officer.
The officer stopped beside the driver's window.
"Turn the engine off."
Daniel complied.
"Keep your hands where I can see them."
Daniel placed both hands on the steering wheel.
"Officer, is there a problem?"
"License and registration."
Daniel reached slowly toward his wallet.
The officer's hand immediately moved toward his belt.
"Slowly."
Daniel stopped.
"Of course."
He retrieved his driver's license and handed it through the window.
The officer examined it.
Then he looked at Daniel.
Then at the car.
Then back at Daniel.
"Step out of the vehicle."
Daniel frowned.
"Why?"
"I said step out."
Daniel opened the door.
He stepped onto the shoulder.
The officer looked at him for several seconds.