Yet Whitaker had spent years treating those concerns as management problems rather than warning signs.
He told himself Malloy was experienced.
Productive.
Aggressive but effective.
Now, reading the report, Whitaker began wondering whether those descriptions had allowed him to overlook something more serious.
His phone rang.
It was Hannah Price.
"Captain?"
"Hannah."
"Can I speak with you about the Malloy review?"
Whitaker looked at the folder.
"Go ahead."
"I've been thinking about something."
"What?"
"The tow driver."
Whitaker frowned.
"From Cedar Valley?"
"Yes."
"What about him?"
"He said, 'Got another one?' when he arrived."
Whitaker sat upright.
"Those exact words?"
"Yes."
"Did you include that in your statement?"
"I did. But at the time I thought it was just an odd remark."
"What do you think now?"
Hannah hesitated.
"I don't know. But I've looked back through some of my own stops where tow services were requested."
Whitaker became cautious.
"What did you find?"
"Nothing conclusive. I noticed Cedar Valley appears frequently, especially on Malloy's calls."
"Is it the contracted provider for the district?"
"One of the authorized providers."
Whitaker looked toward the window.
"Do you have reason to believe dispatch assignments were improper?"
"Not yet."
"Then don't draw conclusions."
"I won't."
He was quiet for a moment.
Then added, "But preserve your observations and submit them through professional standards. The contracting question may require a separate review."
Hannah exhaled.
"Yes, Captain."
Before ending the call, Whitaker said something she did not expect.
"Hannah."
"Sir?"
"Thank you for requesting a supervisor that day."
She was silent.
Then she answered.
"I should have intervened sooner."
Whitaker looked at the report.
He thought about the years of complaints he had dismissed as personality conflicts.
Then he said, "So should I."
Two weeks later, the towing company received notice of an independent contract audit.
Its owner, Gordon Bellamy, read the letter in his office.
Bellamy was fifty-five, a white American businessman with thinning blond hair, a round face, and an expensive wristwatch he liked to display when shaking hands.
He had owned Cedar Valley Recovery for nearly two decades.
The company operated tow trucks, storage yards, and vehicle auction services across several counties.
Some of its work was legitimate.