Chapter 5: The Man Behind the Badge
Halloway ended the call without saying goodbye.
That alone told me everything.
A police officer ending a conversation with his superior before being dismissed wasn't normal.
Fear had replaced obedience.
The gas station lights buzzed above us.
Walter stood several feet away, pretending not to listen.
Bell looked at Halloway.
"What did he say?""
Halloway didn't answer.
"Daniel.""
Finally, he spoke.
"He knows.""
I stared at him.
"Knows what?""
He looked at the screen displaying my father's file.
"He knows about the investigation.""
I closed my laptop.
"That's impossible.""
"Why?""
"Because only a handful of people had access.""
Halloway looked away.
"Then one of those people betrayed you.""
The words landed harder than I expected.
Because I knew he was right.
I had spent months believing I was chasing an unknown enemy.
But corruption didn't survive because enemies were invisible.
It survived because someone inside opened the door.
Bell walked in circles.
"So what do we do?""
Nobody answered.
Then Walter spoke.
"You find the truth.""
We all looked at him.
He shrugged.
"That's what you people do, isn't it?""
I smiled slightly.
"You make it sound simple.""
"It isn't.""
Walter looked toward the road.
"But sometimes complicated things only need someone brave enough to start.""
I looked at the old man.
A stranger who had stopped because he saw something wrong.
A stranger who had recorded what happened.
A stranger who had done what many officials failed to do.
He had acted.
My phone rang again.
This time, the number was unknown.
I answered.
"Victoria Hale.""
A man's voice responded.
"You're making this worse.""
I recognized the confidence.
The arrogance.
"Who is this?""
"You know who.""
"No, I don't.""
A pause.
"You think your badge makes you untouchable.""
I looked at Halloway and Bell.
Neither reacted.
This wasn't a normal threat.
It was personal.
"You threatened police officers over an open channel," I said.
"That was careless.""
The man laughed softly.
"You always were like your father.""
My grip tightened.
"You knew him.""
"I knew exactly what kind of man he was.""
The background noise disappeared.
Everything narrowed to that voice.
"What did you do to him?""
Silence.
Then:
"Your father didn't die because he found corruption.""
I waited.
"He died because he trusted the wrong person.""
The call ended.
I stood there frozen.
Bell spoke quietly.
"What did he say?""
I looked at him.
"He knew my father.""
Halloway looked toward the empty road.
"Chief Mercer.""
I nodded.
"Probably.""
Bell shook his head.
"No.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
He swallowed.
"There's something you need to know.""
The way he said it made my stomach tighten.
"What?""
Bell looked at Halloway.
Then back at me.
"Your father's death report.""
I waited.
"It wasn't handled by Chief Mercer.""
"Then who?""
Bell hesitated.
"My father.""
The words shocked me.
"Your father?""
He nodded.
"He was the detective assigned to the scene.""
The world seemed to shift.
"You never mentioned that.""
"I didn't know who you were.""
I stared at him.
"Your father investigated my father's death?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because he was ordered to.""
I stepped closer.
"And what did he find?""
Bell looked down.
"I don't know.""
"You're lying.""
His eyes lifted.
"I'm not.""
Something about his expression made me believe him.
He wasn't hiding the truth.
He was afraid of it.
"My father died six months after that investigation," Bell said.
I went still.
"What?""
"Heart attack.""
"Convenient.""
Bell looked hurt.
"I know how it sounds.""
"Because it sounds like everyone connected to this disappears.""
Nobody spoke.
Then Halloway quietly said:
"There is one person who knows everything.""
I turned.
"Who?""
He looked toward the road.
"The officer who first arrived at your father's crash.""
"Where is he?""
Halloway hesitated.
"Retired.""
"Name.""
He looked at me.
"Robert Vale.""
The name meant nothing to me.
But it clearly meant something to Halloway.
Because he looked terrified.
"Where is he?""
Halloway took a breath.
"Victoria...""
"Where?""
He finally answered.
"He's been living under a different name for the last ten years.""
"Why?""
Halloway's voice dropped.
"Because he was afraid someone would find him.""
I closed my laptop.
"Then we find him first.""
Bell looked worried.
"That's dangerous.""
I picked up my folder.
"So was being handcuffed on the side of a road.""
Halloway stared at me.
"You really aren't afraid.""
I looked at him.
"I am.""
That surprised him.
"I just learned something important.""
"What?""
"Fear is useful.""
I walked toward my car.
"It tells you when something matters.""
Before we left, Halloway received one final message.
Not a call.
A text.
He read it.
Then slowly handed me his phone.
The message was from Chief Mercer.
May you like
Only one sentence.
*Bring me Victoria Hale alive, and I'll tell you why your father deserved to die.*
