By Tuesday afternoon, rumors had spread through Westbridge Police Department.
Some officers believed Lieutenant Granger was about to be suspended. Others insisted the investigation would collapse because the previous chief had authorized the decisions under review. A few claimed Chief Brooks was deliberately targeting anyone who had disagreed with her.
Nobody seemed to know the full story.
Evelyn refused to address the rumors publicly.
She issued a brief internal reminder that personnel matters were confidential and that employees should not speculate about active investigations. She also instructed supervisors to avoid discussing the identities of witnesses unless necessary for their duties.
The investigation continued.
At 2:15 p.m., Rebecca Cole arrived with a new set of records.
"We've verified the email chain," she explained. "The messages are authentic, and the timestamps match the department's archived records. We also located the original complaint from the former North District supervisor."
Evelyn opened the file.
The supervisor, Sergeant Alan Foster, had reported concerns about several roadside encounters involving Derek Mitchell and another patrol officer. His complaint stated that the incidents had produced conflicting accounts and that he wanted additional interviews before deciding whether the officers had followed department procedures.
The original recommendation had called for further review.
A later document, signed by Granger, recommended closure.
"Did Sergeant Foster explain why he withdrew his recommendation?" Evelyn asked.
"He didn't withdraw it. The closure recommendation came from the administrative office."
"Was he consulted?"
"We haven't found evidence that he was."
"Then we need to ask him."
Rebecca nodded.
"He's retired. We located a current contact number."
Evelyn authorized the investigator to arrange an interview.
She also requested a separate review of the former chief's involvement. The inquiry would have to establish whether he had directed Granger to close complaints, whether he had been properly informed of the underlying evidence, and whether any decisions violated department policy.
At 4:40 p.m., Evelyn received an unexpected visitor.
Derek Mitchell stood in the doorway.
"Chief, may I speak with you?"
"Is this about your administrative review?"
"Partly."
Evelyn gestured toward the chair.
Derek sat, keeping his hands folded.
"I want to explain something about Lieutenant Granger."
Evelyn said nothing.
"He was the person who handled most of the complaints involving me. Whenever somebody had a problem, he told me not to worry about it. He said the department understood that police work was complicated and that people sometimes complained when they didn't like being challenged."
"Did he ever tell you that you could ignore department policies?"
"No."
"Did he ever instruct you to change a statement or withhold information?"
Derek hesitated.
"Not directly."
Evelyn made a note.
"What do you mean by not directly?"
Derek stared at the floor.
"After the incident with the detective, Granger called me into his office. He said the complaint was going away, but I needed to be more careful about how I spoke to people. He told me not to leave anything in writing that could be misunderstood."
Evelyn looked up.
"Those are your words, Officer Mitchell. Are you certain that's what he said?"
"Not exactly. I don't remember every word. But that's what I understood."
"Did he tell you to falsify records?"
"No."
"Did you falsify any records?"
"No, Chief."
"Then we will not describe the conversation as an instruction to falsify records unless evidence supports that conclusion."
Derek nodded.
For once, he seemed grateful for the distinction.
"Why are you telling me this now?" Evelyn asked.
He rubbed his palms together.
"Because I thought the complaints were going away because I was doing my job. I didn't think about how they were being handled. I just accepted it."
"And now?"
"Now I realize I might have been protected from consequences I should have faced."
Evelyn studied him carefully.
"That is a serious possibility. It does not mean every complaint against you was accurate, and it does not relieve you of responsibility for your own conduct."
"I understand."
"Do you have any messages, documents, or witnesses that could help verify the conversation with Granger?"
"I might have a calendar entry. I wrote down the meeting because I was supposed to attend a training session afterward."
"Please preserve it and submit it through the investigator. Do not alter or delete anything."
Derek stood.
"Chief, I know I made a terrible first impression."
"That is not the central issue anymore, Officer Mitchell."
"I know."
He looked at her for a moment.
"I thought being a good cop meant knowing how to handle people. I thought if I could control a situation, I was doing my job."
"And what do you think now?"
Derek took a slow breath.
"I think sometimes I was just trying to control people because I didn't like being challenged."
Evelyn did not congratulate him for the admission.
Recognizing a problem was necessary, but it was not the same as correcting it.
"Then your next responsibility is to demonstrate that you understand the difference."
He nodded and left.
At 6:10 p.m., Rebecca called.
"Chief, Sergeant Foster has agreed to speak with us tomorrow."
"Did he say why he kept the original recommendation?"
"He said he believed someone would eventually need it."
Evelyn sat forward.
"Did he explain what he meant?"
"Not yet. He wants to discuss it during the interview."
The following morning, Sergeant Foster arrived carrying a battered document case.
He was in his early sixties, with a weathered face and a careful manner. He had retired from Westbridge fourteen months earlier after twenty-seven years of service.
Rebecca conducted the interview while Evelyn observed from an adjacent room through an authorized process.
Foster described the original North District complaints. He confirmed that he had recommended further interviews because several residents had provided similar descriptions of Derek's conduct.
He also described a meeting with Granger.
"Lieutenant Granger told me the department couldn't afford another internal controversy," Foster said. "He said we needed to resolve matters at the lowest appropriate level."
"Did he order you to close the complaints?" Rebecca asked.
"Not in those words. He told me the administrative office had decided the matters didn't warrant further investigation."
"Did you agree?"
"No."
"Why didn't you challenge the decision?"
Foster lowered his eyes.
"Because I'd seen what happened when people challenged decisions made above their rank. I had three years left before retirement. I told myself I could do more good by staying in the job."
"Did you preserve the records?"
"Yes. I kept copies of my original recommendation and the correspondence that followed."
He opened the document case.
Inside were printed emails, handwritten notes, and copies of the relevant reports.
One document contained a sentence that changed the direction of the investigation.
Command staff has determined that the department's public position must remain consistent. No additional review is necessary.
The message had been sent from an administrative account associated with the former chief's office.
It was not yet clear who had written it or whether the sender had possessed authority to issue the instruction.
But the evidence was no longer limited to Granger's signature.
Someone higher in the command structure had apparently been involved.
When the interview concluded, Evelyn joined Rebecca and Foster.
"Sergeant, I appreciate your cooperation. I understand that you preserved these records for a long time."
Foster looked at her with tired eyes.
"I kept thinking somebody would ask for them."
"Why didn't you come forward sooner?"
"Because I thought nobody wanted the answer."
Evelyn absorbed the statement.
Then Foster added something she had not expected.
"Chief, there's another thing. Derek wasn't the only officer who benefited from those decisions. There were others. Some of them are good officers who made mistakes. Some were worse. But the system didn't treat everybody the same."
"Do you have evidence of that?"
"I have names and dates. I don't know what happened to every complaint, but I know which cases were handled differently."
Rebecca immediately documented the information.
Evelyn thanked him and arranged for the material to be preserved.
That evening, she stood alone in the command office, looking at the growing investigation folder.
Derek Mitchell had entered her office hoping to explain himself.
Instead, he had helped confirm that a pattern of informal protection might have existed.
The question now was whether he would continue cooperating when the consequences became real.
And whether Lieutenant Granger would tell the truth before the evidence forced him to.