Page 22 of Deserving Maddie

As he walked, Ray thought about what he learned so far. Officer Reynolds appeared to be good at his job. There was nothing he could find in his service record that would make Ray believe the man was being paid off. But sometimes things were left out of a service record. Ray considered himself a good judge of character, but if he missed anything, then Wes would surely pick up on it.

Ray walked in just seconds before Arlo and Officer Reynolds. The man at his side was just as big as the Charlie Team leader and with just as many tattoos. The only difference between Officer Reynolds and Arlo was the lack of a beard.

"Thank you for coming in on your day off." Wes shook the officer's hand and motioned for him to take a seat. "This is our technical analyst, Ray. He was the person who reached out about the case you're working on."

"To be honest, I was a bit surprised to get a call. I figured you would've gotten in touch with the DEA instead."

Ray exchanged a glance with his boss and then Arlo. He had a feeling he was missing something big. He never missed things. Not if he could help it.

"Why the DEA?" he asked the officer.

From everything he’d learned, the case was closed quickly. They ruled out any involvement with anyone associated with the club. The vehicle that took off wasn't one any of the members owned or their immediate family. It didn't mean they weren't involved, but from what Ray read, Officer Reynolds did an outstanding job, considering the resources available.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Those fuckers are secretive as hell." Officer Reynolds rubbed his chin, almost like it was a habit. Ray wondered if the man used to have a beard. "The only reason I stopped working on the case was because my boss pulled me off of it. I was told the DEA was taking over, and they didn't want a leak." The man's entire tone was laced with anger.

Shit. Things must be worse than he expected if the DEA was involved. How the hell did he miss that?

Ray looked over at Wes; it didn't take a genius to realize his boss wasn't happy. Wes hated federal agencies more than anyone else. It drove him insane when the teams needed to work with them.

"So the fucking feds are involved and we have no information," Wes snapped.

"Pretty much." Officer Reynolds had the decency to look apologetic. "I wish I could be more helpful because there is no doubt in my mind there was something off about the death."

"What would make you say that?" Ray's interest was piqued.

"A gut feeling, I guess. The whole thing seemed too perfect, if that makes sense. Almost like it was planned out. I can't really give you more than that. I tried saying the same to my boss, but he didn't want to hear it. I think he was glad when the DEA took over."

Ray made a note to look closer at Reynolds's chief. He had done a brief background when he first looked into the case, but it would appear a deeper dive was needed.

"Did you take any personal notes?" Arlo spoke up for the first time. "Things you didn't include in your reports?"

Officer Reynolds looked uncomfortable, like something was weighing heavily on his mind. No one questioned the change of atmosphere in the room. Whatever decision the officer was coming to, they would let him make on his own.

"I did, and I brought them with me today, given the reputation that precedes you. I hope I'm not mistaken."

From his back pocket, Officer Reynolds pulled out a notebook and slapped it on the table. It wasn't anything fancy, a standard pocket-sized spiral-bound notebook.

"As I said before, something seemed off, so I documented everything I could. There are also some witness statements that I was asked not to include because I was told they didn't pertain to the investigation."

"You didn't find that odd?" Wes raised his brow.

"Of course I did. It's why I kept everything at my house instead of the station. I didn't know who I could trust."

There was no doubt in his mind he would be digging deeper into the small-town department Reynolds worked for. Something didn't sit right, and he needed to figure out what it was.

"We appreciate you coming in." Wes stood up and thrust his hand out.

"Do me a favor."

His boss didn't say anything, just raised his eyebrow to let Officer Reynolds know he could continue.

"Keep me in the loop. I don't need the everyday details. I don't expect you to share that much, but if you find out that it was more than just an accident, let me know. I want to know if my instinct was correct."

An outsider wouldn't know based on the neutral expression Wes wore, but Ray knew the second his boss admired the officer. It was rare that someone would continue to care after a case was taken from them. It made Ray respect Officer Reynolds that much more.

"You have my word."

"Thank you, and if you have any questions about any of my notes, please just let me know. My father was friends with a few of the original MC members. They were great guys and it's a shame what the club has become and how it's hurting our town."

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