“Talk to her.”
Caroline followed his gaze.
“She watched.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“She also eventually told him to stop.”
“Late.”
“Late matters.”
“Not enough.”
“No.”
The old man looked at his daughter.
“But if you only punish the person who crosses the line and never teach the person who watches, you get another watcher.”
Caroline stared.
“You really cannot retire.”
“I retired.”
“No.”
“You stopped receiving a salary.”
“That’s different.”
He smiled.
They left the interstate forty minutes later.
The silver sedan remained drivable.
Caroline wanted him in command SUV.
He refused.
“You’re seventy.”
“I drove here.”
“You were just assaulted.”
“I was shoved.”
“Twice.”
“You counting?”
“Dad.”
He sighed.
“Fine.”
He rode with her.
The plainclothes investigator drove the sedan behind them.
Inside the SUV, Caroline looked out the window.
For five miles, neither spoke.
Then:
“I should’ve called you last night.”
Her father looked.
“What?”
“You texted.”
“Yes.”
“I was busy.”
“I know.”
“I told myself I’d call this morning.”
“You did.”
“After the stop.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I still hate it.”
The old man looked at her.
“You’re not responsible for every bad thing that happens before you hear about it.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Says the man who made a career teaching responsibility.”
“Responsibility is not omniscience.”
She looked forward.
“I built that department.”
“No.”
“You inherited.”
“I changed it.”
“Yes.”
“Then one of my troopers puts hands on my father because he thinks a decorated old man looks suspicious.”
The veteran waited.
Caroline continued.
“What does that say about my department?”
“Nothing yet.”
She looked at him sharply.
“Nothing?”
“One trooper tells you about one trooper.”
“Pattern tells you about department.”
Her expression changed.
He continued.
“So find out whether there is pattern.”
She exhaled.
“That’s exactly what Internal Affairs said.”
“Then pay them more.”
A faint smile.
The old investigator leaned back.
“You know what bothered me most?”
“The shove?”
“No.”
“The uniform insult?”
“No.”
“The bag?”
“Closer.”
She frowned.
“He never called verification.”
Caroline became still.
Her father continued.
“He believed the credential was fake.”