Chapter 8
Raymond Lewis.
The name had appeared in Marcus's records.
Two initials beside suspicious vehicle inspections.
R.L.
For days, we'd wondered what they meant.
Now the man himself was calling.
And he was claiming Curtis wasn't acting alone.
I stared at Patrice.
"Did he leave a number?"
She nodded.
"He did."
I reached for my phone.
Then stopped.
Detective Brooks had warned me not to contact anyone connected to the investigation without discussing it first.
I called her instead.
She listened carefully.
Then asked Patrice to preserve the call information.
Within an hour, Brooks had arranged to contact Raymond through investigators.
I spent the rest of the evening waiting.
Maya tried to do homework.
Patrice made dinner.
Nobody ate much.
Then, shortly after nine, Brooks called.
"Angela, we spoke with Raymond."
My heart jumped.
"What did he say?"
"He says he has information about the night Marcus died."
I gripped the phone.
"Is he telling the truth?"
"We're checking his account."
I swallowed.
"Who is he?"
"Raymond was a senior maintenance coordinator at the company."
I frowned.
"Marcus knew him?"
"Very well."
I closed my eyes.
Then Brooks added:
"He claims the problems went much higher than Curtis."
My stomach twisted.
"How high?"
A pause.
"To the regional director."
I felt cold.
I knew the regional director.
His name was Gregory Price.
He'd attended Marcus's funeral.
He'd stood beside me at the cemetery.
And he'd told me my husband was one of the finest employees the company had ever had.
I remembered shaking his hand.
Thanking him for coming.
Now I felt sick.
***
Over the next several days, investigators examined Raymond's statements.
He provided emails and internal messages suggesting Gregory Price had directed employees to conceal maintenance defects.
The records showed pressure to approve vehicles without proper repairs.
They also documented arguments between Marcus and management.
But the most disturbing evidence concerned the night of the crash.
Raymond said Curtis had been instructed to follow Marcus.
He claimed Gregory wanted to know whether Marcus was meeting with someone outside the company.
I stared at Brooks when she explained this.
"Natalie."
She nodded.
"That's one possibility."
I swallowed.
"Did Curtis cause the accident?"
Brooks paused.
"We're still investigating."
Then she told me about newly recovered vehicle data.
The company SUV had traveled close behind Marcus's truck shortly before the crash.
Investigators believed the vehicles may have been involved in a dangerous interaction on the highway.
The original crash report hadn't included that information.
I felt anger rising.
"Why wasn't this investigated three years ago?"
Brooks answered carefully.
"Some records weren't available to the original investigators. We're also reviewing whether relevant information was withheld."
I sat back.
For years, I'd blamed rain.
Bad luck.
A terrible moment on the road.
Now I understood that someone might have created that terrible moment.
And then let us believe it was an accident.
***
A week later, Curtis Bell was arrested.
The charges involved witness intimidation and offenses connected to the falsified safety records.
Investigators also questioned him extensively about Marcus's death.
Maya saw the news report before I could turn off the television.
She froze.
"Mom."
I moved beside her.
"Don't watch if it upsets you."
She shook her head.
"That's him."
I looked at the screen.
Curtis was being escorted toward a police vehicle.
Maya's hands trembled.
"That's the man who came into my room."
I pulled her close.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"His voice. His clothes. Everything."
I hugged her.
"Then we'll tell Detective Brooks."
Maya began crying.
Not because she was frightened.
Because she finally saw someone being held accountable.
***
The next afternoon, Brooks visited Patrice's house.
She wanted Maya to participate in a formal identification procedure.
The process was carefully conducted.
Maya identified Curtis.
Brooks thanked her.
Then she turned toward me.
"Angela, we have evidence connecting Curtis to the threats against Maya."
My heart pounded.
"What evidence?"
"Communications recovered from his phone."
I covered my mouth.
Maya looked toward me.
"Mom?"
I grabbed her hand.
Brooks continued.
"We believe he was trying to recover the files your daughter found."
I felt rage rush through me.
"He threatened a child."
Brooks nodded.
"That's part of the investigation."
Then she added:
"We also recovered messages between Curtis and Gregory Price."
My stomach tightened.
"What did they say?"
"Some appear to concern efforts to locate the missing documents."
I closed my eyes.
Then she spoke again.
"And Angela, Gregory has been taken into custody for questioning."
I stared at her.
The man who had comforted me at Marcus's funeral.
The man who had shaken my hand.
The man who told me my husband was a hero.
He might have been involved in covering up the truth.
***
That night, Maya sat beside me in Patrice's backyard.
The air was cool.
Crickets chirped in the grass.
She rested her head on my shoulder.
"Mom?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"Do you think Dad was scared?"
I swallowed.
"I think he knew something was wrong."
She looked down.
"But he kept trying."
I nodded.
"Because he believed people deserved to be safe."
Maya was quiet.
Then she whispered:
"I wish I'd told you sooner."
I kissed her forehead.
"I wish I had noticed sooner."
She looked up.
"Are you mad at me?"
My heart broke.
"No."
I held her face gently.
"Never for telling the truth."
She started crying.
I hugged her tightly.
Then I said something I wanted her to remember forever.
"You do not have to solve grown-up problems by yourself."
She nodded against my shoulder.
"I know."
For the first time, I believed she did.
***
The next morning, Detective Brooks called.
Her voice sounded different.
Calmer.
More certain.
"Angela, we have a significant update."
My heart began pounding.
"What happened?"
"Gregory Price has been charged in connection with the financial and safety-record offenses."
I sat down.
Brooks continued.
"And investigators have developed new evidence concerning the circumstances of Marcus's crash."
My throat tightened.
"What evidence?"
She paused.
"A witness has come forward."
I stared at the wall.
"Who?"
"Someone who was driving behind the company SUV that night."
My mouth went dry.
"Did they see what happened?"
Brooks answered:
"They say they did."
I could barely breathe.
May you like
Then she added:
"And their account directly contradicts the original accident report."
