THOMAS REED: "Are you Emily Parker?"
EMILY: "Yes, sir."
THOMAS REED: "I'm Thomas Reed. I need to ask you about the telephone calls involving Ms. Sterling."
Emily nodded.
"Of course."
Thomas opened his notebook.
THOMAS REED: "Did you receive a call from Sterling Medical Systems?"
EMILY: "Yes. The first call came from a man named David Bennett. He identified himself as part of the company's legal department."
THOMAS REED: "What did he ask?"
EMILY: "He wanted confirmation that Ms. Sterling's belongings and company documents were being preserved. He also requested that the sheriff contact him."
THOMAS REED: "Did you inform Sheriff Coleman?"
EMILY: "Immediately."
THOMAS REED: "What was his response?"
Emily hesitated.
She knew that her answer could create tension inside the department.
But the call had been recorded.
And she had written down the time.
EMILY: "He told me to treat it as a county investigation. He also asked whether the caller had threatened us."
THOMAS REED: "Did the caller threaten anyone?"
EMILY: "No."
THOMAS REED: "Did you receive another call?"
EMILY: "Yes. Her attorney called later and requested private access to Ms. Sterling."
Thomas nodded.
THOMAS REED: "Did you make a record of that request?"
EMILY: "Yes. It's in the dispatch log."
THOMAS REED: "Good. Please preserve the original recordings and do not modify the entries."
EMILY: "I will."
Thomas thanked her and continued down the corridor.
Emily looked toward the sheriff's office.
Through the glass, she could see Richard standing beside his desk.
His face was pale.
For the first time since she had started working at the department, she saw him looking uncertain.
A few minutes later, Thomas located Deputy Aaron Mitchell.
Aaron was in the parking area, checking a patrol vehicle.
When he saw the investigator approaching, he straightened.
THOMAS REED: "Deputy Mitchell?"
AARON MITCHELL: "Yes, sir."
THOMAS REED: "I need to speak with you about the traffic stop involving Victoria Sterling."
Aaron glanced toward the station.
"Is this about the arrest?"
THOMAS REED: "Yes."
Aaron nodded slowly.
"All right."
They entered a small interview room.
Thomas turned on his recording device and explained the purpose of the interview.
THOMAS REED: "Tell me what happened from the beginning."
Aaron described the initial stop.
He explained that Victoria's vehicle had been parked near the access road to the medical facility. He had approached her after receiving a radio message that there was a possible disturbance.
THOMAS REED: "Who reported the disturbance?"
AARON MITCHELL: "I received the information through dispatch. I wasn't given a name at the time."
THOMAS REED: "Did you observe any disturbance?"
AARON MITCHELL: "No, sir."
THOMAS REED: "Did Ms. Sterling threaten anyone?"
AARON MITCHELL: "No."
THOMAS REED: "Did she attempt to leave?"
AARON MITCHELL: "No. She was cooperative."
Thomas made a note.
THOMAS REED: "What happened when Sheriff Coleman arrived?"
Aaron took a breath.
"He asked what was going on. I told him that Ms. Sterling said she was authorized to be at the facility."
THOMAS REED: "What did he say?"
AARON MITCHELL: "He told me she was interfering with a county inspection."
THOMAS REED: "Did he show you an inspection order?"
AARON MITCHELL: "No."
THOMAS REED: "Did you ask to see one?"
Aaron hesitated.
"No, sir."
THOMAS REED: "Why not?"
AARON MITCHELL: "The sheriff said he had already received information about the situation."
Thomas looked at him.
THOMAS REED: "Did he identify the person who provided that information?"
Aaron looked down.
"Not at the scene."
THOMAS REED: "Did you hear him mention Charles Whitmore later?"
Aaron paused.
Then he nodded.
"Yes."
Thomas stopped writing.
"Where?"
"At the station. I was walking past his office. I heard him talking on the phone."
THOMAS REED: "What did you hear?"
Aaron looked uncomfortable.
"He said something about needing an answer regarding the equipment authorization. I didn't hear the entire conversation."
Thomas waited.
Aaron continued.
"I also heard him ask Whitmore whether the county had approved the removal."
THOMAS REED: "And what did Whitmore say?"
"I couldn't hear everything. But I remember the sheriff asking whether there was a valid authorization."
Thomas closed his notebook briefly.
"Thank you, Deputy."
Aaron looked up.
"Am I in trouble?"
THOMAS REED: "I'm not here to decide that. I'm here to establish what happened."
Aaron nodded.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Then Aaron added something.
"There is one more thing."
Thomas reopened his notebook.
"Go ahead."
"Before the sheriff arrived, Ms. Sterling told me that the equipment being removed belonged to her company. She asked me to check the work order number."
"Did you check it?"
"No. The sheriff told me to secure the scene."
"Did he give you a reason?"
Aaron shook his head.
"He said he would handle it."
Thomas wrote down the statement.
It was another detail that would become important.
At 6:30 p.m., Laura Bennett returned to the holding area.
Victoria was waiting in the consultation room.
Laura entered carrying a new document folder.
VICTORIA: "What's happening?"
LAURA: "The state investigator has arrived. He's reviewing the arrest and the equipment authorization."
Victoria remained composed.
"Have they spoken to Daniel?"
"Yes. He's preserving the company records."
Victoria nodded.
LAURA: "There is something else. The state has identified a possible connection between the county's authorization documents and Westbridge Development."
VICTORIA: "Whitmore."