Evelyn was not interested in turning the sheriff's humiliation into a spectacle.
She wanted Marcus found.
She wanted the original records preserved.
And she wanted to understand why a teenager who had contacted federal authorities had disappeared before their scheduled meeting.
A few minutes later, Agent Walsh returned.
“We have a possible lead,” she said.
Evelyn straightened.
“What kind of lead?”
“A vehicle associated with the sheriff's department was recorded leaving the rear garage at 9:18 last night. It returned shortly after midnight.”
“Which vehicle?”
“A dark utility SUV assigned to the sheriff's office.”
“Who was driving?”
“The initial log lists Deputy Aaron Pike.”
Evelyn recognized the name from the documents she had reviewed before arriving in Bellhaven.
Aaron Pike was one of Harlan's most trusted deputies. He had been with the department for twelve years and supervised several officers assigned to nighttime patrol.
“Is Pike on duty?” Evelyn asked.
Walsh checked her notes.
“Not according to the published roster. His shift ended yesterday afternoon.”
“Where is he now?”
“We're checking.”
Evelyn considered the timeline.
Marcus had reportedly been detained the previous evening. The original booking entry had been created before the official report. A department vehicle had left the building shortly afterward and returned hours later.
Those facts did not prove that Marcus had been transported in the SUV.
But they justified finding out where the vehicle had gone.
“Do we have the vehicle's location data?”
“The county's fleet system may have it. Our technical team is working on access.”
“Check the fuel receipts and gate cameras too. If the vehicle left county property, someone may have seen it.”
Walsh nodded.
“Already underway.”
Evelyn turned toward Helen.
“Do you remember any earlier incidents involving Aaron Pike?”
Helen's expression changed.
“I remember his name.”
“From which records?”
“The old evidence inventory.”
“Tell me about it.”
Helen clasped her hands together.
“Twelve years ago, there was a shooting near the eastern industrial road. A man named Samuel Reed was killed.”
Evelyn felt a sudden tightening in her chest.
“Samuel Reed was Marcus's father?”
“No,” Helen said. “Samuel was Marcus's uncle. Marcus's father was a deputy named Michael Reed. He died two years ago.”
Evelyn waited.
Helen continued.
“Samuel's case was closed very quickly. The department said he had been involved in a confrontation with a man who had threatened him. They claimed the shooting was justified. But there was an evidence box that never appeared in the final inventory.”
“What was in the box?”
“I don't know everything. I was a junior clerk at the time. I remember photographs, a small recording device, and a set of documents recovered from Samuel's truck.”
“Who signed the inventory?”
Helen looked down.
“Sheriff Harlan was a lieutenant then. Aaron Pike was a patrol officer.”
Evelyn exchanged a glance with Walsh.
“Was Michael Reed involved in that investigation?”
Helen nodded slowly.
“He was one of the deputies assigned to the case. He filed a supplemental report three days after the shooting.”
“Do you know what it said?”
“No. The report disappeared.”
The corridor seemed suddenly colder.
Evelyn remembered the notebook mentioned in Marcus's initial message. She remembered the phrase written beneath the underlined entry.
Evidence room inventory. Missing property. Ask why the report was closed.
Michael Reed had apparently been investigating the same missing evidence before his death.
“Did you ever tell anyone about the missing box?” Evelyn asked.
Helen's answer came almost in a whisper.
“I told my supervisor. He said the box had been transferred to another agency. When I asked for the transfer receipt, he told me to stop looking.”
“Who was your supervisor?”
“Richard Harlan.”
Evelyn did not react outwardly.
But the connection was becoming clearer.
Twelve years earlier, a man had been killed in a shooting that was declared justified. Evidence had disappeared. A deputy assigned to the case had filed a supplemental report that was later missing. Years afterward, that deputy's son had discovered notes about the investigation and contacted federal authorities.
Then the boy vanished.
The sheriff's department had entered a detention record before the alleged arrest, and a department vehicle had traveled somewhere during the hours surrounding the disappearance.
The connections were troubling.
They were also still incomplete.
Evelyn refused to let suspicion become certainty before the evidence could support it.
“Agent Walsh,” she said, “I want the original case file for Samuel Reed's death, including every supplementary report, evidence inventory, and chain-of-custody document. We should also establish whether the case was reviewed by the state at any point.”
Walsh nodded.
“We'll request it.”
“And we need to locate Michael Reed's death investigation. If there is any connection between that case and the missing evidence, we need to know.”
“Understood.”
The sheriff's attorney approached them before Walsh could leave.
“Ms. Brooks,” he said, adjusting his glasses, “Sheriff Harlan would like to clarify a few things.”
Evelyn turned.
“Then he should provide a complete statement through the appropriate channels.”
“He believes there has been a misunderstanding regarding the detention.”