“What happened after that?”
He swallowed.
“My partner switched his camera off.”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then the junior officer continued.
“And he told me to do the same.”
The investigator looked directly at him.
“Did you?”
The young officer lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
The room became quiet.
The investigator could see that he was frightened.
He had admitted conduct that could lead to discipline and possibly other consequences depending on the facts.
She did not promise immunity.
She did not suggest that cooperation would erase his responsibility.
Instead, she explained the importance of a complete, accurate statement and the need for appropriate legal advice concerning his own potential exposure.
The young officer nodded.
Then whispered, “I know.”
He looked toward the window.
For a long moment, he seemed to be struggling with something.
Finally, he spoke.
“There's another reason I called.”
The investigator waited.
The young officer continued.
“Last week, my partner told me a woman was asking questions about the park.”
The investigator's expression changed.
He looked toward her.
“He said the captain wanted to know whether she'd been seen.”
She remained still.
The young officer swallowed.
“Then he showed me a photograph.”
The investigator felt cold.
“What photograph?”
The officer hesitated.
Then looked directly into her eyes.
“Of you.”
For several seconds, the room was silent.
The investigator stared.
The junior officer continued.
“You were standing outside the retired teacher's house.”
She remembered the visit.
The rainy morning.
The cinnamon-scented kitchen.
The notebook.
The book she'd borrowed.
She had not noticed anyone photographing her outside.
The young officer looked increasingly worried.
“Ma'am, I don't think they know exactly who you are.”
The investigator remained quiet.
He continued.
“But somebody's watching the people who make complaints.”
She felt a chill move through her body.
The inquiry had just changed.
Until then, she'd been examining whether officers were unlawfully stopping park visitors.
Now she had evidence suggesting that someone might also be monitoring people who cooperated with the investigation.
And the photograph raised a deeply troubling question.
Who was watching the retired teacher's house?
The investigator did not return to the retired teacher's house immediately.