Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
They had their warrant, and Medina was having an officer bring in Dale Kramer for questioning. Eric walked inside the Ship It Etcetera storefront feeling confident.
The young man at the front desk, somewhere in his late twenties or early thirties, smiled at Eric. “Welcome to Ship It Etc. What can I ship or print for you today?”
Why do companies make their employees greet people like this? “Nothing today. I have a warrant here.” Eric held the paperwork out for him, but the clerk shook his head.
“I trust you.”
Eric tucked the paperwork into his back pocket and asked where he could find the safe deposit boxes.
The clerk pointed toward the back of the store.
“Thanks.”
“Uh-huh.”
Eric came to a wall of boxes and searched for 3235. He spotted it and stuck the key Levine had left him into the slot.
“There’s a room over there if you want privacy,” the clerk said while nudging his head to the corner where there was an open bifold door.
“Unnecessary, but thanks anyway.” Eric was prepared with a large evidence bag to take the contents of the box with him, but there was just one large manila envelope curled to fit inside.
He grabbed it and locked the box again. On the way out, he waved to the clerk, but he was too caught up playing on his cell phone to notice.
Eric got the car running and unsealed the envelope. His fingers felt fat as he shoved them inside, nerves getting to him. All the evidence you need is inside…
He pulled out an officer’s notebook. He flipped it open and recognized his mentor’s handwriting.
The only notes in the book were dated the day of Susan Crawford’s crash. There were more than the three eyewitnesses that were noted in the digital crash report summary, though that wasn’t uncommon. What flagged more was the difference in their statements.
Eric read the first few.
Statement #1:
Wtn: Karen Reeves
Witnessed from office window and came forward. States she saw a white cargo van, Chevy, didn’t catch plate, run into the driver’s side door of the Cavalier sedan.
Heard crunching of metal and the sedan was pushed into a pole.
The van fled the scene. Described hit-and-run driver as having brown hair, large build.
Weather was clear, daylight, good visibility, some snow and slush on the road, nothing hazardous.
Wtn states “I saw all of this clear as day.”
Statement #2:
Wtn: Kevin Sparks
Standing thirty feet from crash when it happened. Unharmed. Saw a white Chevy cargo van drive the Cavalier sedan into the pole. No good look at the driver who took off right afterward.
Wtn states “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but I know what I saw.”
Statement #3:
Wtn: Selma Hatfield.
Standing across the street, direct line of sight.
Said a white van rammed into the Cavalier sedan and plowed it into the pole. No visual on driver’s face, but it was man, large, with brown hair.
Saw a rental sticker on the bumper of the van. Travel Safe.
Wtn states: “I’ll never forget what I saw.”
Eric let out a deep sigh. The first three eyewitnesses mentioned the van, and he was confident the rest in this notebook would have as well.
It was disheartening to see everything was here from the beginning to launch a successful investigation—right down to the rental sticker.
Instead, justice was perverted. Even if Dean Finley used his position as sergeant to pressure Todd’s compliance, he was accountable for his actions. They were inexcusable.
He set the notebook on the passenger seat and dug back into the envelope. He came out with the original crash report, one from the Major Crash Investigation Unit and several photographs. The report was filled out by Simms and must have been intercepted so it never got entered into the system.
After putting them on the seat, he shuffled through the photos.
Taken of the accident scene, each one confirmed the photographer had an eye for detail.
The aftermath was captured from various angles, and one thing stood out in all of them.
This wasn’t a single-vehicle crash. A set of tracks ran alongside Susan Crawford’s car.
They had a wide base, suggesting a larger vehicle.
The entire driver’s side of the Cavalier was smashed in.
Eric’s stomach curdled. His mind replayed one haunting refrain. How could Todd have been involved in all of this? A cop Eric had respected and looked up to as a mentor, no less. Was Eric’s judgment of people that far off? If it was, he didn’t deserve to wear the badge himself.
He put the investigation photos on the seat and dug into the envelope again for the last item.
A small silver recorder. He flipped it over, hit the power switch, and nothing happened.
The thing predated electronic charging, so the batteries must be dead.
He flipped the device and popped open the snap cover and saw he needed two triple As.
Just where to get them…
The shipping company was in a small plaza, and his gaze landed on a variety store. With any luck, they might have some dusty ones kicking around. He turned the car off, locked it, and jogged across the lot, his mind whirling about what he might hear when he hit play.