Daniel Mercer.
And two internal affairs investigators who had arrived less than twenty minutes after Hale's call.
Nobody spoke.
A laptop sat in the center of the table.
On the screen was the interrogation footage.
The recording began.
Dalton's voice filled the room.
"Where were you at 8:30?"
Then Reed's calm response.
The questions continued.
The accusations.
The threats.
The tightening of the cuffs.
Everyone watched.
Nobody moved.
When the recording reached the moment Dalton grabbed Reed's jacket, Sergeant Cole shifted uncomfortably.
Hale paused the video.
He looked at Dalton.
"Did you do that?"
Dalton nodded.
"I was trying to control the situation."
"You had him handcuffed."
"He was being uncooperative."
"Was he physically resisting?"
"No."
"Was he attempting to escape?"
"No."
"Was he threatening you?"
Dalton hesitated.
"No."
"Then why did you grab him?"
Dalton looked down.
"I don't know."
Hale stared at him.
"That's a dangerous answer."
Dalton swallowed.
The video continued.
Then came Reed's line about the District Attorney.
Hale paused it again.
He looked around the table.
"He knew I was coming."
Mercer nodded.
"He expected you."
Hale turned to Reed.
"Why didn't you tell them who you were?"
"I did."
"Clearly."
Reed looked at Dalton.
"I gave him my credentials."
Dalton said quietly:
"I thought they were fake."
Reed looked at him.
"Why?"
"You didn't look like a judge."
A long silence followed.
Hale leaned back.
"What does a judge look like?"
Dalton didn't answer.
Reed finally spoke.
"Apparently, not like me."
There was no anger in his voice.
That made it worse.
Because everyone in the room understood the implications.
The problem hadn't simply been an identification error.
The officer had seen a man in a suit, decided he wasn't important, ignored his identification, and then escalated the encounter because he believed he could.
Hale closed the laptop.
"Judge Reed, I'm sorry."
Reed nodded.
"I know."
"No."
Hale shook his head.
"You don't understand."
He looked around the room.
"I'm not apologizing as a colleague."
He looked at the officers.
"I'm apologizing as the chief prosecutor of this county."
Then he turned toward Reed.
"This department has failed you tonight."
Reed looked toward Captain Reynolds.
"Has it?"
Reynolds looked devastated.
"Yes."
Reed nodded.
"Then fix it."
Reynolds stood.
He walked to Dalton.
"Officer Dalton, remove your badge."
Dalton stared at him.
"Captain—"
"Now."
Dalton slowly removed his badge.
He placed it on the table.
Then his firearm.
Then his identification card.
Cole looked down.
Reynolds turned toward him.
"Sergeant Cole."
Cole looked up.
"You were supervising this investigation?"
"Yes."
"You allowed a handcuffed suspect to be physically intimidated."
"I wasn't in the room."
"But you were responsible for the room."
Cole had no answer.
Reynolds continued.
"You're placed on administrative leave pending investigation."
Cole closed his eyes.
Then Hale stood.
"There is something else."
Everyone looked at him.
"The arrest tonight was not random."
Reed looked at him.
Hale opened another file.
"This investigation concerns missing evidence from the Bellmont corruption case."
Mercer nodded.
"The evidence disappeared from the courthouse this afternoon."
Reed leaned forward.
"That's why I was at the municipal building."
Hale continued.
"We believe someone inside law enforcement helped remove it."
Cole looked up sharply.
"You're saying one of our officers is involved?"
"We don't know yet."
Reed's eyes moved across the room.
"That's why I came tonight."
Hale nodded.
"You were supposed to meet with the investigators."
"Yes."
"And instead, one of your officers arrested the judge overseeing the case."
Nobody spoke.
Then Mercer said quietly:
"Which raises an interesting question."
Hale looked at him.
"What?"
"Why did Officer Dalton seem so determined to keep Judge Reed inside the station?"
Everyone turned toward Dalton.
His face tightened.
"I wasn't trying to keep him."
Reed looked at him.
"Then why did you refuse to release me?"
"I thought you were lying."
"About what?"
"Everything."
Reed studied him.
"Who told you to bring me in?"
Dalton looked down.
"I don't remember."
Hale's voice sharpened.
"Try."
Dalton remained silent.
Reed leaned back.
"That's the real question."
He looked toward the recording.
"Who knew I would be at the municipal building tonight?"
Silence.
Hale's expression changed.
Because he suddenly understood.
Someone had known Judge Reed was coming.
Someone had made sure a patrol officer was waiting.
And someone may have wanted the judge inside the police station.