Chapter 4
The fluorescent lights of the precinct interrogation room hummed with a low, headache-inducing frequency. Maya Vance sat on the opposite side of the steel table, her burgundy blazer pristine, her posture relaxed yet vigilant. Across from her sat Internal Affairs Lieutenant Sarah Jenkins, a sharp-eyed woman with a tablet displaying the body-worn camera footage of the incident on Fifth Avenue.
"We pulled the footage from Miller's unit," Lieutenant Jenkins said, tapping the screen. "He didn't run your plates. He didn't call dispatch for backup or verification. He walked straight up to you with his hand on his holster. It’s an open-and-shut case of gross misconduct."
"It’s more than misconduct," Maya replied calmly, taking a sip from a paper cup of black coffee. "It’s a symptom of a systemic rot within the precinct’s patrol division. Miller didn't hesitate for a single second when he broke that window. That level of casual aggression doesn't come from a single bad day. It comes from knowing that, up until tonight, nobody ever checked his behavior."
Jenkins sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You’re entirely right. We’ve had three separate anonymous complaints regarding Miller’s stops over the past six months, mostly targeting minorities in upscale neighborhoods. But without concrete proof or a federal plaintiff willing to press the issue, the union lawyers always managed to sweep them under the rug."
"Well, the rug is gone now," Maya said. "My vehicle is currently sitting in a secure impound lot awaiting forensic damage assessment. The insurance claim alone is going to cost the city a small fortune, but the civil rights violations lawsuit is going to cost them much more."
"What do you want to happen, Agent Vance?" Jenkins asked, leaning forward. "We can push for termination, loss of pension, and criminal charges for vandalism and deprivation of rights under color of law."
"I want all of that," Maya said without hesitation. "But more importantly, I want a full audit of every stop Miller has made in the past year. I want to know who else he harassed, who else he intimidated, and who covered for him."
May you like
Jenkins nodded slowly, typing notes into her tablet. "That’s going to kick up a lot of dust. Miller’s uncle is Deputy Chief Miller. He’s retiring in three months, but he still has a lot of loyalists in command positions."
Maya offered a thin, humorless smile. "Let them push back. I deal with organized crime syndicates and cartel money launderers for a living, Lieutenant. A few corrupt local cops and a defensive deputy chief do not intimidate me."
