Chapter 6: The Woman Aaron Never Suspected

Doyle snapped the memory card in half and dropped the pieces onto the table.

Aaron watched them fall without speaking.

“You just destroyed evidence in front of a state investigator,” I said.

Doyle shrugged.

“I destroyed an unverified device taken during an illegal search.”

Mara placed her phone on the table.

“The file Lucy uploaded is already on a state server.”

Aaron’s face lost its color.

Doyle turned on him.

“You told me she hadn’t sent it.”

“I didn’t know.”

“You were supposed to watch that family.”

I stood between them and the door.

“You both stood at my husband’s memorial.”

Doyle pointed toward the chair.

“Sit down.”

“No.

Tell me what was in those bags Ben saw.”

Aaron answered before Doyle could stop him.

“Cash seized from an organized r0bbery case.”

Doyle grabbed Aaron’s arm.

“Be quiet.”

“You moved evidence from the police station,” I said.

“Ben recorded you, so you went after him.”

Doyle faced Mara.

“This interview is over.”

A woman appeared in the hallway carrying a thick envelope.

I recognized Helen, Aaron’s wife, though she had avoided me since the crash.

“Aaron,” she said, “tell them what you did.”

He stared at her.

“Go home.”

“No.”

Helen walked into the room and placed the envelope before Mara.

Inside were printed patrol logs, bank records, and a flash drive.

“I found these in our safe,” she said.

“Aaron’s patrol car was near the cabin before the crash and at the recovery scene two hours before he reported arriving.”

Aaron stood.

“You stole private records.”

“I copied records you planned to burn.”

Doyle moved toward her, but Mara’s officers blocked him.

Helen looked at me.

“Aaron came home that night with mud on his uniform.

He said Ben had made him choose between his family and yours.”

My legs weakened.

Lucy caught my hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

“Because he said Doyle would take our home and send him away.

I was a coward.”

Aaron struck the table with his fist.

“I kept you safe!”

“You kept me frightened,” Helen replied.

He turned to me.

“Ben could have walked away.

I begged him.”

“You loosened the brake line.”

“Doyle ordered it.”

Doyle laughed once.

“Listen to him.

He’ll blame anyone now.”

Helen removed a tiny recorder from her coat.

“You blamed Doyle last night too,” she said.

“You said he ordered you to destroy the box and threaten Lucy.”

Aaron lunged for the recorder.

An officer caught his arm and forced him back against the wall.

“You recorded me in my own house?” he shouted.

“I finally listened to what you sounded like.”

Mara took the recorder.

“Chief Doyle, surrender your badge.”

Doyle reached toward his belt, then stopped as both state officers stepped closer.

He removed the badge and placed it on the table.

“This proves nothing,” he said.

“Aaron acted alone.”

Aaron looked at him.

“You promised you’d protect me.”

“I promised nothing.”

The door opened, and Grace hurried inside.

Her face was pale.

“Mom, there’s something you need to know.”

“What happened?”

“Emma called me.

Aaron contacted her the night Dad d!ed.”

Aaron shut his eyes.

Lucy tightened her grip on my hand.

“Why would he call Emma?”