Then he replayed the section showing the gym bag.
His telephone rang.
It was Richard Voss, the towing contractor.
"You seen it?" Voss asked.
"Yes."
"How bad?"
Langford stared at the screen.
"Bad."
"Can you handle Matthews?"
"He's already being questioned."
Voss swore softly.
"What about the woman?"
Langford said nothing.
Voss continued.
"People are saying she's connected to the feds."
"Don't discuss this over the phone."
There was a pause.
Then Voss spoke again.
"Robert, if they start pulling files, we've got a problem."
Langford looked toward the locked cabinet near his desk.
Inside were financial records he had intended to destroy before retirement.
"We've had problems before."
"Not like this."
Langford ended the call.
He walked to the cabinet.
Then he stopped.
For the first time in years, he realized that destroying a record might be more dangerous than keeping it.
Because investigators had already obtained access logs, financial transactions, and witness statements from sources outside his control.
He did not know how much they had.
That uncertainty frightened him.
Simone spent the night in a medical facility under protective supervision.
Her cheek was bruised.
Her wrists were swollen.
Her shoulder had been strained.
No injury was life-threatening.
Yet when the doctor finished examining her, she remained seated on the bed long after he left.
Caroline stood near the window.
"You should sleep."
Simone shook her head.
"I keep hearing him say it."
"What?"
"Get on your knees."
Caroline pulled a chair closer.
"You don't have to talk about it tonight."
Simone looked down at her hands.
"I thought I knew what it was like."
"What was like?"
"Being afraid of an officer."
Caroline remained silent.
Simone continued.
"I've listened to recordings. I've read statements. I've reviewed injury photographs. I thought understanding the pattern would prepare me."
She looked toward the dark window.
"But when he stood over me, I wasn't thinking about spreadsheets."
Her voice weakened.
"I was thinking about Daniel."
Caroline reached for a tissue but did not interrupt.
Simone took a shaky breath.