“I expect you to verify it.”
Silence.
A beat too long.
They already know.
That’s the problem.
This isn’t about discovering truth.
It’s about confirming a version of it.
They exchange a glance.
Subtle.
But practiced.
Alignment.
“We have testimony,” the man says. “From Director Jenkins.”
My chest tightens.
Just once.
Controlled.
“He states you were warned. That you proceeded anyway.”
Peter.
The name echoes louder in my head than it does in the room.
Of course he said that.
It fits the narrative.
It protects him.
It closes the loop.
“You’re going to charge the wrong person,” I say quietly.
The woman’s expression doesn’t change.
“That’s not our concern.”
There it is.
Clean.
Unemotional.
Final.
“Our concern is containment.”
