Mason walked inside.
Sarah followed to the doorway but kept Eli outside the office area.
Victor came too.
Ray stood before a monitor.
Security footage.
Date:
Sunday evening.
The motorcycle arrived at Hale Motor Works because Sarah planned to bring paperwork Monday morning for valuation.
Mason remembered now.
Daniel's old bike had been delivered Sunday afternoon after a charity memorial ride.
It ran perfectly.
Footage showed Mason riding it into the bay himself.
6:42 p.m.
He parked.
Disconnected nothing.
Closed shop later.
At 7:13, Victor appeared.
Mason frowned.
He had forgotten Victor stopped by.
Victor said:
“You remember.”
Mason did.
Victor had returned a specialty timing tool Ray loaned him.
Footage showed Victor entering.
Talking with Mason near the office.
Five minutes.
Then Mason took a phone call outside.
Ray was in the parts room.
Victor remained alone in the main bay.
He walked toward the exit.
Then stopped near Daniel’s motorcycle.
Looked around.
Victor said:
“I admired it.”
Nobody answered.
The camera angle showed his back.
He bent beside the motorcycle.
Right at the side panel.
Stayed there thirty-eight seconds.
Then stood.
Something small in his hand.
Maybe nothing.
He walked to his bag.
Reached inside.
Returned.
Bent again.
Twenty-one seconds.
Then left the area.
Mason's jaw tightened.
Sarah whispered:
“Oh my God.”
Victor said:
“That proves nothing.”
Ray answered:
“Correct.”
Victor looked surprised.
Ray continued:
“It proves you were touching the bike the night before it stopped starting.”
“I looked.”
“With both hands behind the side panel?”
“Inspection.”
“Who asked you to inspect it?”
Victor did not answer.
Mason looked at Sarah.
“Did you?”
“No.”
Victor said:
“Daniel and I discussed that motorcycle dozens of times.”
Sarah stared.
“My husband was dead.”
Silence.
Victor recovered.
“I meant before.”
Mason looked at the monitor.
“Keep going.”
Ray scrubbed footage.
Victor returned to his bag once more.
The camera caught the top opening.
A bottle.
Blue cap.
Victor’s face changed.
Ray froze the image.
Not enough resolution to read anything.
Enough to establish color and shape.
Mason looked toward Victor’s work bag.
“Open it.”
Victor laughed.
“No.”
“Then don't.”
Mason nodded.
“I’m not searching you.”
He pulled out his phone.
Victor looked toward the exit.
Mason said:
“If you leave, I'm not stopping you.”
Victor stayed.
Why?
Because running looked worse.
Mason dialed Officer Paul Michaels.
He had known Paul fifteen years.
That did not mean special treatment.
Mason specifically said:
“I want documentation, not favors.”
Paul arrived twenty-six minutes later.
Victor remained.