Chapter 5 - The Badge That Didn't Belong
Detective Ortiz stopped sharing information with most of her department.
From that moment forward, the investigation became a closed circle: Ortiz, Reed, the district attorney, two federal investigators—and me only when they believed I needed to know.
I hated that arrangement.
I accepted it because Violet had asked me not to do anything stupid.
Those words became my orders.
The temptation to hunt Victor myself was enormous.
But I had spent my career learning that anger destroys judgment faster than fear.
If I wanted Victor stopped permanently, I needed evidence.
Not revenge.
Evidence.
Ortiz reviewed every officer who had accessed the burglary report.
One name appeared too often.
Lieutenant Aaron Pike.
Twenty-two years on the force.
Decorated.
Respected.
And strangely interested in Violet's case before Major Crimes took over.
Pike had personally classified the scene as a robbery.
Pike had ordered patrol officers not to treat the alarm log as significant.
Pike had accessed the evidence room less than an hour before the camera footage vanished.
Ortiz obtained a warrant for Pike's financial records.
There it was.
Monthly deposits routed through a shell company connected to Victor Hale.
The police department had its traitor.
But Pike vanished before they could arrest him.
His cruiser was found at the airport.
No sign of Pike.
Meanwhile, Violet continued improving.
She remembered pieces.
Three people entered.
Rachel.
Victor.
And a younger man.
Not Ethan.
Victor demanded the flash drive.
Violet refused.
Rachel tried to stop him.
Someone struck Violet.
Ethan arrived during the confrontation.
He fought to protect her.
Then Violet lost consciousness.
“Where is Ethan?” she asked me.
“We're finding him.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She looked at me carefully.
“You're not going after them, are you?”
I almost smiled.
“You sound like your mother.”
“That's not an answer.”
“I am going after the truth.”
“That sounds suspiciously like a Dad answer.”
For the first time since I had found her, Violet smiled.
Tiny.
Painful.
Beautiful.
Then Ortiz entered.
“We found Ethan.”
Violet tried sitting up.
“Where?”
Ortiz's face told me the answer wasn't simple.
“He's alive.”
“Where?”
“A motel outside Richmond.”
“Why hasn't he called?”
“Because he's not alone.”
Ortiz placed a surveillance photograph on the table.
Ethan stood outside a motel room.
May you like
Beside him was Rachel.
And Rachel was holding a gun.
