I had begun recording the exchange on my phone in accordance with the advice I had received about preserving a conversation I participated in.

I did not wave it in his face or try to make him say more.

As the guard approached, Derek leaned forward.

“Be careful about dragging Lily into this.”

The sentence was recorded.

He left when directed to do so.

The guard noted what had occurred, and I asked that relevant workplace records be preserved.

I returned to my desk and discovered I could not remember the subject of the email I had been answering.