Page 13 of Breaking Rules

“Could be.” Harry nodded. “Sure wish I’d handled things differently back then. But you know how it is, being the new guy. Didn’t have much choice but to go along with the boss.”

“Well, maybe we can use your help now,” Sam said. “Reese, get Harry copies of those old case files on the heist. Let’s see if his years of experience shed any light on this.”

“You got it, Chief,” Reese said, already heading off.

The look of excitement on Harry’s face brightened Sam’s mood. He wouldn’t have Harry go out in the field or get into danger, not after what had happened before, but there was no harm in letting the old guy read over some files. Maybe Harry would remember something important. Sam had a soft spot for Harry, who had been the chief of police before him, and loved seeing the gleam in his eye when Sam asked him to consult on cases.

Sam clapped Harry on the back and headed to his office. He needed some thinking time to come up with a plan. Was the money the thing that had gotten Alex killed, or was that just a coincidence? And if it was the money, why hadn’t the killer taken it?

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kevin scrolled through the digitized case files on his computer, the click of the mouse echoing in the quiet squad room. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jo staring blankly at her monitor, tapping a pencil in a rhythmic beat. Wyatt’s rapid keystrokes filled the background as he typed away on some task. Harry sat at one of the empty desks, a look of concentration on his face as he flipped through the paperwork on the old robbery that Reese had given him.

Kevin was grateful no one was paying attention to what he was researching. With the vintage suitcase of cash found in Alex Sheridan’s apartment, he now had a valid reason to access the cold case records to find out more about the decades-old unsolved bank robbery case that was likely the source of the money. But Kevin had an ulterior motive: a chance to follow up on the old narcotics case that had held the password that unlocked the thumb drive found among his belongings when he had been hospitalized last year.

The thumb drive had contained information that led them to a serial killer’s burial ground. Kevin still couldn’t remember how he obtained the thumb drive or what had led him to think he would find the password in that old notebook that was part of the evidence in the narcotics case. But he had, and he’d taken the information from that case without authorization. If anyone found out, it could cost him his reinstated position with the White Rock Police Department.

But now that he was the only one that knew there could be a connection, the duty to figure out why lay heavy on his shoulders. If only he could find a way to do it and not let anyone know about his indiscretion.

So far, he had kept his fragmented memory hidden, but he had noticed Jo eyeing him strangely when he occasionally referenced the small notebook he now kept in his pocket to remind him of details he should know. He had to keep up the charade, at least until he figured out what had really happened during those gaps in his recollection.

Kevin continued scrolling through the digitized narcotics case files, skimming for any details that might trigger his spotty memory. Most of it was familiar territory—records of arrests, evidence logs, investigative notes.

There were a few references to Thorne Industries, but Kevin already knew about the company’s connection to the case, didn’t he? He did remember that they had been cleared of any wrongdoing, though.

Harry sneezed, jolting Kevin’s attention from the computer.

“Darn cat.” Harry pulled a hanky out of his pocket and blew into it.

Kevin’s gaze met Jo’s, and she shook her head and rolled her eyes. Kevin smiled and discreetly closed the file on his computer. Accessing that right in the station might not be so smart. It was close quarters.

He opened the file for the old robbery case. Based on the vintage suitcase full of cash they had found hidden under Alex Sheridan’s floorboards, it seemed likely the money was from that old heist. But how had Alex gotten connected to it?

As Kevin skimmed through the bank robbery file, something caught his eye. Someone walking their dog had found a duffle bag of money in the woods. It turned out that money had come from the bank. According to the file, the bag appeared to have fallen from a great height. Like maybe out of the helicopter.

The case reminded Kevin about D. B. Cooper, the man who hijacked an airplane and jumped out with a bag of cash. There was no hijacking here, though. So where had the robbers gotten a helicopter? How had the bag fallen out? Was it the only thing that fell out?

The report included pictures of the find and the area around the bag. There was no evidence of a person, no clothing or blood or anything. Just the bag.

The coordinates of where the bag had been found were familiar. Why? Kevin consulted his notebook and sucked in a breath. They were very near the coordinates the thumb drive had pointed to. Right next to the Webster property, where the FBI were right now digging up graves. What a strange coincidence.

Harry slapped the file folder down on the desk. “If I had been lead on this case, we would’ve found those crooks.”

Jo raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What would you have done differently?”

“For starters, I wouldn’t have just sat around, waiting for clues to fall in my lap.” Harry jabbed a finger at the paperwork. “It’s almost like Hartman wanted them to get away with it.”

Kevin leaned forward, intrigued. “What makes you say that?”

Harry waved a hand dismissively. “Ah, Hartman was an arrogant SOB. Thought he knew everything. But he barely followed up on any solid leads. Like that bag of money they found in the woods.”

“I was just looking at that part of the file,” Kevin said. “Were you in on the search?”

Harry nodded. “We searched only for one day. Never found anything else. No tracks, no clothing, no other money bags. Just the one busted-open bag.”

Jo furrowed her brow. “That is strange. Why only one bag?”

“Exactly!” Harry exclaimed. “The whole thing seemed off to me. But Hartman dismissed it, said we’d found all there was to find.”

---