Reynolds looked surprised.
"That investigation?"
"Exactly."
The case had involved irregularities in pension payments made to retired municipal employees.
Several former workers had reported missing funds, unexplained deductions, and discrepancies between their approved benefits and the amounts they actually received.
The investigation had uncovered a complicated network of fraudulent transactions.
Some payments had been redirected.
Others had been recorded as completed even though the beneficiaries had never received the money.
Walter had provided information during the original inquiry.
He had also assisted investigators by identifying irregularities in old maintenance and payroll records.
Because of the risks associated with the investigation, the pension authority had introduced additional security measures for several beneficiaries.
One of those measures was the emergency transmitter.
If a registered beneficiary was physically threatened while carrying a monitored payment package, activating the device would send an alert to the central protection desk.
The system would transmit the registered beneficiary number, the package reference, and the location of the activation.
The alert would then be forwarded to the designated emergency response channel.
ROW 94 was the operational reference associated with Walter's protected distribution record.
Vance stared at Reeves.
"So he activated some kind of alarm?"
Reeves nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Reeves looked at him.
"You should be able to answer that."
Vance became silent.
Reynolds looked toward the evidence container.
"Does the system automatically identify the serial numbers?"
"It verifies them against the original distribution record. That is why dispatch mentioned them."
Vance shook his head.
"This is insane."
Reeves closed the laptop.
"No. What's important is that the money can be traced, the original payment can be verified, and the events leading to its seizure are recorded."
Vance looked toward the station entrance.
The ambulance had already left.
Walter was on his way to the hospital.
For the first time, Vance appeared genuinely frightened.
Not because he was facing an angry passenger.
Not because he was being confronted by a supervisor.
But because the evidence was becoming increasingly difficult to explain away.
Reynolds turned toward Reeves.
"I want the original distribution record preserved. We also need the complete activation history and every communication associated with the alert."
Reeves nodded.
"Already working on it."
Then another officer approached.
"Captain, the station security manager is ready to provide the surveillance footage."
Reynolds looked at him.
"Good. Get the complete recording, not just the section showing the fall."
"Understood."
The officer returned toward the security office.
Reeves looked at Vance.
"One more question."
Vance raised his head.
"What?"
"Have you handled other pension distribution packages at this station?"
Vance hesitated.
"What kind of question is that?"
"A straightforward one. Have you ever been assigned to verify or secure cash payments for elderly passengers?"
Vance shook his head.
"No."
"Have you ever taken possession of money from a passenger during a routine patrol?"
"No."
Reeves looked at him.
"Then why did you take Mr. Harrison's envelope?"
Vance stared at the floor.
"I thought something was wrong."
"Based on what?"
"He had a large amount of cash."
"Was carrying cash a crime?"
"No."
"Was there a report that Mr. Harrison had stolen money?"
"No."
"Did anyone identify him as a suspect?"
"No."
Reeves waited.
Vance finally said:
"I made a judgment call."
Reeves nodded slowly.
"Then we'll examine that judgment call against the available evidence."
Vance looked toward the ceiling.
He had no further explanation.
Meanwhile, at St. Andrew's Medical Center, Walter was being examined in the emergency department.
A nurse named Patricia Lewis checked his blood pressure and asked him to describe the fall.
Walter repeated the sequence of events.
He explained how the officer had taken the envelope and pushed him backward.
Patricia listened carefully.
"Did you hit your head?"
"Yes. Against the floor."
"Any dizziness?"
"A little."
"We'll have the physician examine you and arrange imaging if necessary."
Walter nodded.
He looked toward his jacket.
The small black transmitter was still attached beneath the inner lining.
He remembered pressing it.
He had never imagined that he would need to use it.
The device had been provided after the pension investigation.
He had received instructions about its purpose but had hoped it would remain untouched.
He had thought it was an unnecessary precaution.
Now he understood why the authorities had insisted that he keep it with him.
A few minutes later, his phone rang.
It was his daughter, Rebecca.
Walter answered.
"Dad?"
"Rebecca."
"Where are you? I've been trying to reach you."
"I'm at the hospital."
There was a moment of silence.
"WHAT? What happened?"