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Charlie heads after him, and I follow, impressed by her skills of persuasion. The officer takes us down an industrial hallway, to a stairwell, and then down to the basement level.
I stay quiet, knowing that it’s in my best interest not to draw any attention to myself whatsoever. I keep my head down and follow Charlie, glad that we don’t encounter anyone along the way.
When we reach the bottom of the stairs, there’s a room directly ahead with a sign on the door reading ‘Records Department’. Inside, there are filing cabinets and shelves lining the walls of the small room, and a computer sits in the middle.
The officer takes a seat and clicks in his access codes. “File number?” he asks.
Charlie hands over a slip of paper, and the cop types it in, pulling up a file on the screen. “Vehicular accident…” He reads off the screen. “Look right to you?” he asks.
Charlie leans over. “That’s the one.”
He sends it to print, while he and Charlie chat about the soccer league, and his upcoming wedding anniversary. I keep an anxious eye on the door, certain we’re about to get busted. Technically we’re breaking into police HQ here, accessing private files… But Charlie doesn’t seem nervous at all, like this is just a walk in the park as she scoops the file of the printer tray, and stuffs it in her jacket as we head upstairs again.
“Enjoy the game,” she says breezily. “Send my love to Julie.”
The cop just grumbles, closing the door behind us.
My mind is whirling as Charlie leads us a couple of blocks away. “I can’t believe it was so easy to go strolling in there!” I exclaim, hurrying after her determined strides.
“You do know, we’re trying to be discreet?” Charlie counters.
I shut up, until finally, we’re on the empty back patio of a café nearby—the only two people braving the cold weather. Charlie brings us coffees, producing the file from her jacket.
“Voila,” she says smugly.
I eagerly open the report, reading through each page as thoroughly as possible while Charlie sips her drink. I’m looking for something, anything, that might tell me more about the car accident that claimed Sebastian’s father’s life, or even hint at scandal, but as I scan the brief, printed summary, my hopes fade.
There’s nothing.
Nothing except a stab of guilt, reading the awful details. What a tragic accident. Sebastian was only sixteen when it happened. I can’t help wondering how he felt, learning the news that his father was gone…
I fight back my traitorous sympathy and put the report down with a sigh.
“No good?” Charlie asks.
I shake my head. “There’s nothing new here. It’s all the same vague information I’ve seen before: lost control of the vehicle, no foul play suspected, no trace of drugs or alcohol… I really thought there was more to the story than this.”
“Let me see.”
Charlie takes the pages, and starts reading, while I sit there feeling like I’ve hit yet another dead end.
Will I ever find a way to get my revenge?
I know someone as wealthy and powerful as Sebastian has the ability to cover up any scandals or weakness, but still, I was certain I could findsomethingto use against him.
Nobody is untouchable. Not even him.
Charlie finishes her read with a wry look. “You’re not wrong, it’s hardly incriminating stuff. But you do have some new information.”
I look up. “What are you talking about?”
She flips back to the first page of the report and places it in front of me again, pointing. “The name of the officer who was first on the scene. He’s the one who wrote this riveting piece of police work, which means he would have seen the crash site for himself. It’s not much, but it’s something.”
I read the name listed.“Terry Hardcastle.”
Charlie pulls out her phone and starts scrolling. “Hmm, it looks like the guy took early retirement, a few years ago.”
“So, weareout of luck?”
