“How bizarre.”
“That’s why I thought you might be able to help me out. It won’t take more than a few minutes to clear everything up.”
Todd hesitated, and Eric feared he was chewing on the meaning behind his last words.“From thirty-three years ago? I’ll do my best, but it seems absurd this is coming up now.”
Eric found it unsettling Todd reiterated the age of the case. Extending the benefit of the doubt, it might simply be shock at the request. After all, a lot of time had passed. But Eric feared it might be something else. Something he didn’t care for. Was Todd working to lay a defense for himself? Only the guilty needed to worry about that. In a handful of words, Todd had also diminished the validity of the HT’s request. “I hear ya, but we’re here nonetheless. Anything you might remember could be helpful.”
“Huh. I don’t know, Eric. I mean, I’ll do what I can, of course, but no guarantee. I’ve seen a lot of things during that time.”
Being a cop, every shift contributed to a catalog of horrors. “I get that. Just whatever you can. As I mentioned, it was a fatal crash. A thirty-two-year-old woman, mother of one, died on scene. Her name was Susan Crawford.” Eric paused there when he saw Todd’s eyes light up. He recognized the name. It made Eric’s stomach clench. It was one thing to remember a tragic accident from over three decades ago and another to recall the name of the victim in an accident that was considered straightforward.That is if the record is to be believed…“Though, as you said, it was thirty-three years ago. It might have left yourmemory.” Eric added this to relieve some pressure, hoping to tease an open dialogue with Todd.
“The name is vaguely familiar. Are there any more details you can give me?”
“It was January, and a snowstorm had hit earlier in the day, making for poor road conditions. She crashed into a pole.” Eric deliberately left out mention of the boy in the backseat, curious if Todd would bring him up.
“Ah, yes, I remember now. There was a kid in the back. I think he survived but sustained critical injuries… That right?”
Could it be the accident stuck with Todd because of the kid? It was possible, but that didn’t stop tingles from running down Eric’s back. Nor did Eric buy it. “Impeccable memory.” He smiled at Todd.
“Sometimes I surprise myself.” Todd laughed it off and sank back into his chair, swiveled left and right and was averting his gaze.
Not good…Not just the lack of eye contact but the self-soothing. Why did he feel the need? Was there something about the accident that had him feeling guilty? The flags were there, that someone had messed with the file. Eric had come here wanting to be mistaken. For Todd to say something that would obliterate his concerns. Provide some explanation for the missing attachments and hard records.Anything…“And here I can’t remember what I had for breakfast some days.” It was a challenge to push out those words, but he felt the need to say something.
“I’d just worked my way up to riding on my own. But it stayed with me. That woman’s mangled body… It was heartbreaking.” Todd’s eyes glazed over though he still wasn’t making eye contact.
“I bet it was.” Eric studied his mentor, unease growing in his belly like a malignancy. None of this was going the way he’dwanted it to. Todd also elaborated too much. Oversharing was another mark of a guilty conscience. But, surely, Eric must be reading the situation wrong.Todd would never…Eric couldn’t stomach to even finish the thought.Sabotage her car and cause the accident? Or was his role limited to covering up the truth of what happened?Though that was just as heinous. But what would make a good cop do that?
“So who asked for the file to be looked at? It’s the kid, isn’t it? He’s the hostage taker?” Todd raised his eyebrows, his question striking Eric out of left field.
It hadn’t taken Todd long to reach that conclusion. “It is. Ryan Crawford.”
“It’s hard enough losing a parent if they die from a long-term illness. Unexpected in a car accident, makes things even more rough.”
“Add to that he was just a child at the time.”
“Right, but he’s not now. I tell ya, some people have a hard time letting go. Their drive to get answers becomes an obsession and they want someone to pay. Rather scary, too, given how long it’s been. Why now after all this time? Does he blame the Hansons? He must, I mean, for him to be there. But that’s crazy because it was a single-car crash. Am I right?” Todd leaned forward.
“Like you said, sometimes people get obsessive.” A diversion. Sandra had mentioned in a text that the HT’s implied allegation was Timothy Hanson had caused Susan Crawford’s accident. He wasn’t laying that out so bluntly to Todd.
“Yeah, well, he’s wasting his time, and so are you. I’m surprised Medina approved one of his homicide detectives to work on this. I’m sure your skills could be put to better use on a case where there’s something to actually investigate.”
“Well, you know me. I don’t question directions and do as I’m asked.”
Todd chuckled. “Then you’ve changed. One thing I suspect hasn’t, though, is your tenacity. You’ll get to the truth.”
“That’s my intention.” Eric met Todd’s gaze and chased it away. Pain shot through Eric’s gut. It always reacted strongly to deception. “As I said, I’m having a hard time compiling details. There aren’t even photographs. Your report references them.”
“The photos weren’t even scanned in?”
The response came fast. Too fast for Eric. He shook his head. Not about to repeat himself again that the digital file contained one thing and the hard copies were missing.
“Well, there should have been photos. Roger Simms, from the Major Crash Investigation Unit, was the photographer for that accident. He must have misallocated them. Or it was a computer glitch.”
Like they were simply missing…“You remember Simms?” It was unsettling that Todd had pulled out the man’s name so quickly.
“He was the go-to back then.”
Eric hadn’t heard of him. Maybe he retired. Either way, he’d track him down. “I’ll talk with Simms.”
