Chapter 7 - The Pressure Mounts
The walls of institutional power began to close in on those who dared to defy Judge Sterling. At four o’clock that afternoon, Officer Miller was summoned to the office of Police Chief Callahan.
The Chief did not offer Miller a seat. He stood by the panoramic window overlooking the town green, chewing on an unlit cigar.
"Mark, you’ve got twenty-two years on this force," Callahan said without turning around. "You’ve got an exemplary pension coming up in eighteen months. Why in God’s name are you inserting yourself into a domestic dispute between a high-court judge and a girl from the flats?"
"Because the high-court judge assaulted a patient and attempted an unlawful abduction, Chief," Miller replied evenly. "I took an oath to enforce the penal code, not to protect the county social registry."
"The magistrate signed an order, Mark!" Callahan barked, turning around, his face flushed. "You humiliated Elena Sterling in front of nursing staff. The mayor’s office is calling. The judicial review board is calling."
"Then let them call," Miller said, unpinning his gold badge and placing it firmly on the mahogany desk between them. "If protecting a mother and her newborn child from an unlawful seizure is insubordination, suspend me right now. But if you do, I walk straight across the square to the press corps outside the courthouse and read my sworn incident report on live television."
Callahan stared at the badge, then at the unwavering determination in Miller’s eyes. For ten agonizing seconds, neither man spoke.
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Finally, Callahan let out a weary curse and gestured at the badge. "Take your damn tin. You’re on administrative leave until the hearing concludes tomorrow. If you set foot in the precinct, you’re fired. What you do on your own time is your problem."
Miller picked up his badge, pinned it back to his jacket, and walked out.
