Chapter 10: The Reason He Wanted Me in Uniform
For several seconds, I couldn't take my eyes off Emma.
“He needed someone inside the department before he could make the final transfer.””
I repeated her words quietly.
“What final transfer?””
Emma shook her head.
“I don't know. I only heard him say it during the argument.””
“Tell me exactly what happened.””
She took a shaky breath.
“After he found the divorce papers, he started shouting about money. He said he'd spent four years building something, and I was about to destroy everything.””
“What did he say about me?””
“He said you were the final piece.””
My stomach tightened.
“Did he explain?””
“No. He said he'd been waiting for you to become a detective. Then he laughed and said nobody would ever suspect a police officer.””
Marcus exchanged a look with Natalie.
Laura stepped closer to Emma.
“Did he mention any specific investigation, financial transaction, or police department operation?””
Emma closed her eyes.
“He mentioned a case number.””
“What case number?””
“I don't remember all of it. It started with 19.””
I froze.
Four years earlier, I had been involved in an investigation into a property development company suspected of using fraudulent ownership documents to obtain commercial loans.
The investigation had been closed after prosecutors determined that the available evidence was insufficient to establish criminal conduct.
One of the businesses mentioned in the original file had been Mercer Holdings.
I slowly turned toward Marcus.
“Case 19-447.””
He frowned.
“What?””
“That was the property fraud investigation I worked on four years ago.””
Natalie opened her laptop.
“Who supervised it?””
“Robert Hayes.””
Silence.
I remembered that case.
I remembered spending months collecting documents, interviewing witnesses, and tracing suspicious financial transactions.
I remembered discovering that several properties had changed ownership through companies with nearly identical registration details.
And I remembered the day Robert told me the investigation was going nowhere.
He had personally recommended closing it.
At the time, I had trusted his judgment.
Now I wondered whether he had been protecting Daniel.
“Can you access the original case file?”” Natalie asked.
“Not without going through the department's records system.””
“Then don't access it yourself. We'll request an independent copy.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Did Daniel know you were assigned to that investigation?””
I thought carefully.
“He attended a department charity dinner around that time. Robert introduced us to several business owners. Daniel was there.””
“Did you discuss your work?””
“Not specifically.””
“Did he know your role?””
I nodded.
“He knew I was assisting with financial investigations.””
Natalie closed her laptop.
“Then we need to establish whether your employment was deliberately used to obtain confidential information.””
My phone rang.
An unfamiliar number.
I answered.
“Claire Bennett.””
“Claire, it's Victor Lang.””
I immediately put the call on speaker.
“What do you want?””
“My client is prepared to cooperate.””
“Then he can speak to the investigators.””
“He insists on meeting you.””
“That's not happening.””
Victor sighed.
“Your sister has given you an incomplete picture. Mr. Mercer possesses documents that could demonstrate your involvement in the financial transactions.””
I looked at Natalie.
“What documents?””
“Copies of authorizations bearing your signature.””
“They're forged.””
“That is your allegation.””
“No. It's a fact. I never opened that account.””
Victor lowered his voice.
“Perhaps you should consider what happens when investigators discover that a police officer's credentials were connected to suspicious financial transfers.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Mr. Lang, this call is being documented. Any further attempt to pressure a witness should be directed through the appropriate legal channels.””
There was a pause.
Then Victor said something unexpected.
“My client says Detective Bennett personally delivered information about the Mercer investigation four years ago.””
I felt my blood turn cold.
“That never happened.””
“Perhaps your memory is different from his.””
Marcus ended the call.
Nobody spoke.
Then Natalie looked at me.
“Claire, I need you to tell us something honestly. Did you ever share information from case 19-447 with Robert Hayes outside normal departmental procedures?””
“No.””
“Did you ever provide Daniel with documents?””
“No.””
“Did you ever access the original financial records on a personal device?””
“No.””
She nodded.
“Good. We'll verify that independently.””
I sat down.
For the first time, I understood the shape of Daniel's plan.
He might have been using my identity to move money while simultaneously creating a trail suggesting that I had helped him.
If the scheme collapsed, he could point toward a police officer.
Me.
At 9:16 a.m., Natalie received a call from her office.
She listened carefully.
Then she turned her laptop toward Marcus.
“We've located the archived investigation.””
The file opened.
Case 19-447.
I recognized the cover sheet immediately.
My name appeared among the assigned investigators.
So did Robert Hayes.
But there was another name.
Daniel Mercer.
Listed as a confidential business source.
I stared at the screen.
“What?””
Marcus leaned closer.
“Why was he listed as a source?””
“I don't know.””
I began reading the summary.
Daniel had supposedly provided information about fraudulent property transfers involving a competing development company.
His cooperation had been cited as a reason for several investigative decisions.
But I had never interviewed him.
I had never received information directly from him.
I looked at Robert's name.
He had been the only person authorized to manage the source relationship.
Natalie scrolled farther down.
Then she stopped.
“There's a supplementary report.””
“What does it say?””
She opened it.
The report claimed that I had personally verified several financial documents provided by Daniel.
It also stated that I had recommended excluding one company from further investigation.
I stared at the page.
“I never wrote this.””
Marcus looked at the signature.
It was mine.
Or a very convincing imitation.
Then Natalie enlarged the final paragraph.
It contained a handwritten note.
*Officer Bennett confirms the source's credibility. No further action required.*
Beneath it was Robert Hayes's signature.
I felt sick.
He hadn't simply helped Daniel.
He had used my name to make Daniel's information appear legitimate.
And if that report was fraudulent, the original investigation might have been deliberately manipulated.
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
There was no greeting.
No threat.
Just a photograph of a handwritten note.
I enlarged it.
The note contained a date from four years earlier.
May you like
And beneath it were six words:
*Claire was never supposed to investigate.*
