He seemed impatient.
Dismissive.
Almost as though he had already decided what kind of person Elaine was before speaking to her.
That bothered her more than the physical assault.
Because it suggested the problem was bigger than one bad decision.
That afternoon, the official announcement was held in the municipal auditorium.
Reporters filled the first three rows.
Elaine stood beside Mayor Hale.
"This department needs accountability," she said.
She did not mention Patrick by name.
"We need professionalism. We need transparency. And most importantly, we need officers who understand that authority is not a license to humiliate people."
Applause came from the back.
Elaine continued.
"Every citizen deserves to be treated with dignity. Every officer deserves clear standards and fair procedures. Those principles are not enemies."
The next morning, Patrick was called into the chief's office.
Elaine was already waiting.
He entered nervously.
"Chief."
"Sit."
He did.
Elaine placed the video transcript on the desk.
"I want you to tell me what happened."
Patrick looked down.
"I thought she was trespassing."
"That's not what I asked."
He hesitated.
"I believed she was refusing a lawful order."
"You believed."
"Yes."
"Did you verify her authorization?"
"I asked her."
"She told you security had cleared her."
"Yes."
"Did you call security?"
"No."
"Why?"
Patrick had no answer.
Elaine leaned back.
"That's the question."
Patrick looked ashamed.
"I made a mistake."
"Yes."
"I lost my temper."
"Yes."
"I shouldn't have put my hands on you."
Elaine corrected him.
"You shouldn't have put your hands on her."
Patrick looked up.
She continued.
"Whether you knew I was the incoming chief is irrelevant."
He nodded slowly.
"That's what you said yesterday."
"It remains true."
Elaine opened another folder.
"I've reviewed your record."
Patrick stiffened.
"You have several complaints involving unnecessary physical contact."
"They were unfounded."
"Most were."
He looked relieved.
"One wasn't."
Patrick's eyes narrowed.
Elaine slid a report across the desk.
It involved a sixteen-year-old boy.
The boy had been detained outside a convenience store.
The complaint described Patrick grabbing him by the collar.
The report had been closed after the teenager's family declined to pursue it.
Patrick stared at the document.
"I don't remember that."
Elaine looked at him.
"That's the problem."
She closed the folder.
"Your future here depends on whether you are willing to remember."
Elaine expected resistance.
She did not expect the resistance to come from inside her own command structure.
Three days after the courthouse incident, Deputy Chief Marcus Bell requested a private meeting.
He was not one of the original people involved in Elaine's appointment.
He had spent twenty-six years in Westbridge Police Department and had expected to become chief.
Now Elaine was sitting in the office he believed should have been his.
"Chief," Marcus said.
"Sit."
He remained standing.
"I think we're making a mistake."
Elaine folded her hands.
"Explain."
"You're changing too much too quickly."
"I've changed almost nothing."
"You suspended two officers."
"Pending investigation."
"You ordered an audit of disciplinary complaints."
"Yes."
"You requested body-camera compliance records."
"Yes."
"You've asked Internal Affairs to review closed cases."
Marcus frowned.
"Exactly."
Elaine smiled faintly.
"And that's too much?"
"You came in looking for problems."
"No."
She stood.
"I came in expecting problems."
Marcus stared at her.
Elaine walked to a cabinet.
"Do you know why I asked for these records?"
"Because you don't trust the department."
"No."
She pulled out a box.
"Because I don't trust any institution that claims it has nothing to improve."
Inside were old complaint files.
Marcus recognized some.
"Where did you get those?"
"City archives."
"You've been here three days."
"I read quickly."
Marcus sighed.
"Chief, Westbridge isn't perfect. No department is."
"Agreed."
"But our crime numbers are down."
"Crime numbers can fall while public trust collapses."
Marcus said nothing.
Elaine opened the first file.
"This woman filed a complaint in 2022."
Marcus looked.
"She accused an officer of threatening her."
"Complaint dismissed."
"Why?"
"Insufficient evidence."
Elaine turned another page.
"Did anyone interview the neighbor?"
"I don't know."
"They didn't."
She opened another file.
"A teenager claimed an officer forced him onto the hood of a car."