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“We spoke to the car’s owner. The vehicle came straight here after a crash.”
“I don’t know what to say to that,” Simon replied.
“Well, I suggest you start talking. Those plates now relate to a homicide and an abduction that took place this morning. Since you were the last one to have them… Well, I think you know where I’m going with this.” The way Trent was watching Simon with determination and intent, he’d be hauling the guy back to Central soon.
Simon pushed back from his desk, his face bright red. “You can’t pin any of that on me.”
“Then you’ll open your books to us, show us the paperwork you would have received when you turned the plates in to the DMV?” Amanda pushed.
“Well, Helen’s the one who’s responsible for handing old plates over, making sure they are made invalid, and shredded.”
“Again, as we said, that didn’t happen with these ones. The car came here a year and a half ago, and the plates just fell out of registration six months ago. Where have they been all this time? I would suggest you don’t claim to have no idea.” Trent had his notepad out, obviously ditching the tablet for now. He tapped the tip of his pen to the page, an angry tic.
“That doesn’t sound right at all. Let’s go talk to Helen.” Simon jumped up and led the way back down the stairs. He was hollering Helen’s name the entire way.
“What?” Helen snapped.
“You don’t take old plates over to the DMV? You let them sit around?” Simon launched his accusations, and it had Helen glaring at her boss. Otherwise his behavior didn’t seem to shake her, so it must be the way he normally treated her. People around or not.
“Of course I turn ’em in. Get them made invalid, and the DMV is to shred them.”
“Well that didn’t happen, Helen, because these cops”—he thrust an arm with a pointed finger toward Amanda and Trent—“tell me a set was used in a recent crime. You have five seconds to explain yourself or there’s the door.”
“What happens once I drop them off is out of my hands. It’s not like I hang around and watch ’em get destroyed.”
“So you can assure me that every single plate is turned over to the DMV right away?” Simon asked.
Helen’s shoulders lowered, and her eyes dipped to Amanda and Trent. Then back to Simon. “You have me doing so much around here, Simon. And you know Bill’s health hasn’t been the best for a long time. It can have me preoccupied.”
“What are you saying?” This time when Simon spoke, he’d lowered his voice.
“I do my best, but sometimes plates can sit around for a spell.”
“These ones are from a year and a half ago,” Simon stressed.
“Now, I don’t let them sit that long.” Helen’s voice lost some of its original edge, like an actor putting on a poor performance.
“If you took them to the DMV, you should be able to look that up and find a receipt from them,” Amanda said.
Helen hesitated. “Oh, yeah, sure.” She asked for the car type and the plate number, explaining if plates make it to them, they record that. A few seconds later, she said, “I see the car, but no plate number associated with it. As I just reminded Simon, my husband’s health, that’s Bill, has me distracted sometimes. I could have missed keying in the plate.” She made a show of checking the physical files and shook her head a moment later.
“You didn’t turn them over?” Simon’s attempt at conveying disappointment fell short, and Amanda sniffed a rat. Criminals could benefit from reusing someone else’s plates. If they surfaced in conjunction with a crime, police would be spinning in a circle, much like now.
“Mr.Wheable,” Amanda said, earning his attention, “are you sure you didn’t throw them in with the sale of a jalopy or even on their own?”
Simon and Helen didn’t speak, didn’t move.
“Please answer my question,” Amanda pushed.
Simon’s face shadowed, and he clenched his jaw. “What are you implying, Detective?”
“I think you know exactly what I’m implying, and if you don’t start talking, my partner and I will need to take you to Central for a conversation.”
Simon and Helen were looking at each other, clearly conveying volumes in the silence.
“You need to tell us who you passed the plates along to. Right now,” she said. “If not, we’ll be looking at you for the murder and abduction.”
“You don’t have squat.”
