"Have you ever communicated with him?"
"No."
"Have you ever received information about pension collection schedules from anyone in the distribution office?"
"No."
"Have you ever discussed the location or timing of pension payments with another officer?"
Vance hesitated.
"No."
Laura made a note.
Then she asked the question that changed the direction of the interview.
"Officer Vance, can you explain why your personal telephone number appears in a contact record associated with Martin Cole?"
Vance stopped moving.
His representative looked at the document.
Reeves leaned forward.
The room became completely silent.
Vance stared at the page.
Then he looked at Laura.
"I don't know what that is."
Laura placed a second document beside it.
The record contained a date, a time, and a telephone number.
It matched Vance's registered contact information.
The call had taken place two days before Walter Harrison collected his pension.
Laura looked directly at him.
"Would you like to explain that?"
Vance did not answer.
His representative leaned toward him and whispered something.
Vance rubbed his forehead.
Finally, he spoke.
"Martin called me about a routine station matter."
"What routine matter?"
"I don't remember."
"Did he tell you that Walter Harrison would be carrying cash?"
Vance looked away.
"No."
"Did he tell you when the payment would be collected?"
"No."
Laura studied him.
Then she opened another file.
"This record indicates that your phone also contacted Martin Cole on the morning of Harold Bennett's incident."
Vance's expression hardened.
"I don't remember that either."
Laura closed the folder.
"Then we will verify the communication records independently."
The interview was paused.
Vance was escorted back to a separate room.
Laura remained at the table.
Reeves looked at her.
"He's not giving us much."
Laura nodded.
"But the records are beginning to speak for themselves."
She collected the documents.
"Now we need to find Martin Cole."
THE SEARCH FOR MARTIN COLE
Investigators continued checking the employee's movements.
His apartment remained empty.
His vehicle was still parked outside.
His work telephone had been switched off.
The financial investigation team obtained authorization to examine relevant business records and system access logs.
They discovered that Martin had accessed several pension beneficiary accounts outside his normal working hours.
The access history included the records of Walter Harrison, Harold Bennett, and Eleanor Brooks.
But there were additional names.
Five more retirees had been identified.
Some had reported missing money.
Others had not filed complaints.
The investigators began contacting them.
One woman remembered an officer who had questioned her pension payment.
Another described a man who had offered to help her carry an envelope before demanding to inspect its contents.
A retired mechanic recalled losing several hundred dollars after an encounter near a station entrance.
The accounts were not identical.
But the similarities were concerning.
Every report involved an elderly pension beneficiary.
Every individual had been carrying a relatively large amount of cash.
And several incidents had occurred within areas patrolled by Vance.
The investigation now involved two separate questions.
Had Vance unlawfully taken money from pension recipients?
And had someone inside the pension distribution office supplied information that allowed those individuals to be identified?
The investigators did not assume the answers.
They examined the records.
They interviewed witnesses.
They compared timestamps.
They checked surveillance footage.
They reviewed communication logs.
And slowly, a more complete picture began to emerge.
At 6:20 p.m., Laura received a call from the team searching for Martin Cole.
They had located him.
He was at a small hotel outside the city.
He had checked in under his own name.
Investigators were arranging contact through the appropriate process.
Laura immediately informed Reynolds.
"Captain, we found Cole."
"Where?"
"At a hotel near the western highway."
"Is he cooperating?"
"Not yet. He has agreed to speak with investigators after consulting legal counsel."
Reynolds nodded.
"Good. Make sure the process is documented."
Laura paused.
"There is something else."
"What?"
"Cole has a second telephone number."
"Is it connected to Vance?"
"We're checking."
Reynolds looked toward the investigation board.
The names and dates were beginning to form a pattern.
He knew that they still needed more evidence.
But he also knew that the original incident had opened a door that might lead to something much larger.
Meanwhile, Walter was sitting at home with Rebecca.
He had been resting most of the afternoon.
His back still hurt.
But his condition was improving.
Rebecca brought him a cup of tea.
"Dad, the investigators called again."
Walter looked up.
"What did they say?"
"They want to meet you tomorrow."
He nodded.