Malcolm finally looked at Andre’s uniform and said, “You look terrible.”
Andre stared at him.
“You’re making jokes?”
“I’ve had a difficult morning.”
Andre shook his head once, then stepped forward and hugged him.
The entrance became completely silent.
Ethan’s face changed.
He looked from Malcolm to Andre.
“Sir, I didn’t know—”
Malcolm immediately turned toward him.
“That is not helping you.”
Ethan stopped.
Andre pulled back and looked at his brother.
“You hurt?”
“No.”
Andre looked at the blood.
“Not mine.”
“What happened?”
Malcolm nodded toward Ethan. “Ask him.”
Andre turned.
Ethan began explaining that dispatch received a report of a man trying vehicle doors in the employee lot. Malcolm matched the description of a male wearing a dark coat and carrying a bag, so officers initiated contact. Andre listened without interrupting.
“And then?”
“He produced a hospital ID.”
“And then?”
“We had not verified it independently.”
Denise stepped forward from near the entrance.
“I verified him.”
Andre looked toward her.
Calvin Ross raised one hand.
“So did hospital security.”
Andre looked at Marcus.
The older officer’s eyes dropped.
“Yes, Chief.”
Andre’s jaw tightened.
“Then why was he still in cuffs?”
Nobody answered.
Ethan eventually said, “The identification could have been fake.”
Andre looked toward the enormous illuminated Lakeshore sign above the entrance.
Then back toward Ethan.
“So your solution was to ignore the nurse, ignore hospital security, ignore the badge, and open his medical bag instead of walking through the door behind you?”
Ethan looked down.
“I was trying to be thorough.”
Andre’s voice became colder.
“Thoroughness that refuses new information is not thoroughness.”
Malcolm touched his brother’s sleeve.
“Andre.”
The chief looked at him.
“Not here.”
Andre’s eyes narrowed.
Malcolm continued.
“You’re angry.”
“Yes.”
“So am I.”
“Good.”
Malcolm gave him a look.
“Handle it correctly, not personally.”
The sentence stopped him.
Andre took one slow breath.
Then another.
When he turned back toward the officers, the brother had receded and the police chief had returned.