In 1991, a Female Patrol Officer Vanished — 13 Years Later, a Worker Made a Shocking Discovery…

Jesus Christ, Tony, you know what this means? Yeah, I know what it means. The question is, whose badge is this? and how long has it been down there? Miguel examined the items without touching them. The wallet contained a driver’s license. Linda Rodriguez, born 1967, issued 1990. The photo showed a young Latino woman with serious dark eyes and her hair pulled back in regulation style.

Rodriguez. Tony noticed Miguel’s expression. Any relation? That’s my sister. Miguel’s voice came out as a whisper. She’s been missing since 1991. Tony set the badge down carefully on a clean piece of cardboard. Missing? What happened? She was a patrol officer, 24 years old. One night, she went out on patrol and never came back.

They found her squad car abandoned near the river, but never found her body. The department said she probably fell in and drowned. Miguel shook his head, but Linda was a strong swimmer and she would never abandon her post. Did they investigate? They said they did. Captain Morrison handled the case personally, said there was no evidence of foul play. The case went cold after 6 months.

Tony looked at the excavation site. They were demolishing an old warehouse that had been scheduled for tear down since 1992. The concrete foundation dated back decades. Miguel, if this stuff has been buried since 1991, and this building was supposed to be torn down in 1992, someone buried my sister here and then made sure the demolition got delayed for 13 years. Miguel’s hands trembled as he pulled out his cell phone.

I’m calling the police. Wait. Tony grabbed his arm. If someone in the department was involved in covering this up, you don’t want to call just anyone. You need someone you could trust. Miguel stared at the badge. After 13 years of wondering what happened to Linda, he finally had proof she hadn’t just walked away from her life.

But proof of what exactly? There’s a detective, Sarah Chun. She wasn’t on the force back in ’91. Started in 95. I heard she’s honest. Doesn’t play politics. You sure about that? No, but I’m sure about one thing. Linda didn’t drown in any river. Someone killed her and buried her badge here, which means they probably buried her here, too. Tony looked at the excavation site with new eyes.

How deep you want me to dig? As deep as it takes. Within 30 minutes, Detective Sarah Chun arrived at the construction site. She was a compact Asian-American woman in her mid30s with graying hair pulled back in a practical ponytail.

She approached the scene with the methodical precision of someone who had worked plenty of cold cases. Mr. Rodriguez, I’m Detective Chun. You said you found evidence related to your sister’s disappearance. Miguel showed her the badge, wallet, and uniform fragments. Chin photographed everything before bagging the evidence. These items were buried under the concrete foundation. Yes, ma’am. Tony here was excavating when his machine hit the badge. Shin turned to Tony.

How long has this building been scheduled for demolition? Paperwork says it was supposed to come down in 1992, but permits kept getting delayed, tied up in red tape. Finally got approval this year. 13 years of delays. She made notes in her pad. Mr. Rodriguez, I need you to understand something. This is now an active crime scene.

I’m going to need to call on the forensics team and expand the search area. You think she’s buried here? I think we need to find out. Shun sealed the evidence bags. Can you tell me about the original investigation? who was the lead detective. Captain Morrison handled it personally, said it was too important to delegate.

Chin’s expression didn’t change, but Miguel noticed her grip tighten on her pen. Captain Morrison retired in 2001. He’s living in Florida now. You know him by reputation. Shin didn’t elaborate. Mr. Rodriguez, I want you to prepare yourself. If we find your sister, it’s going to be difficult. And if someone in the department was involved in covering this up, this investigation is going to get complicated.

I’ve been preparing for 13 years, detective. I just want to know the truth. Shin looked at the construction site, calculating the area that would need to be searched. Truth has a way of coming to light eventually. Sometimes it just takes the right person with the right excavator.

As the forensics team arrived and began setting up their equipment, Miguel Rodriguez stood at the edge of the construction site and thought about his sister. Linda had always been the brave one, the one who stood up to bullies, the one who became a cop because she wanted to protect people. Now, 13 years later, she was still fighting for justice, even from her grave.

Detective Chun spent the next morning reviewing Linda Rodriguez’s case file. The original investigation folder was thin, surprisingly thin, for a missing police officer case. She spread the documents across her desk and began taking notes. Officer Linda Rodriguez, badged 247, had reported for duty on October 15th, 1991. Her shift supervisor was Sergeant Frank Dawson. Her patrol area included the downtown district and the Riverside Industrial Zone.

She had been assigned to check on reports of suspicious activity near the old warehouse district. Her last radio contact came at 11:47 p.m. She reported checking an abandoned vehicle near Riverside Drive. After that, nothing. Her patrol car was found at 6:15 a.m. The next morning, parked near the San Antonio River with the driver’s door open. Her radio was still functioning.

Her weapon was missing from his holster. Shin flipped through the witness statements. A homeless man named Charlie Vance claimed he saw Linda’s patrol car around midnight, but said he was too drunk to remember details. A security guard in a nearby factory reported hearing what might have been gunshots around midnight, but couldn’t be certain. The investigating officers had dragged the river for 3 days.

They found nothing. Chin picked up the phone and dialed Miguel Rodriguez’s number. Mr. Rodriguez, this is Detective Chun. I need to ask you some questions about your sister’s behavior before she disappeared. Of course, whatever you need. Was Linda having any personal problems, relationship issues, financial troubles, conflicts at work? Nothing like that. Linda loved being a cop.

She was dating someone, a guy named David Park, but it was casual, no drama, and she was saving money to buy a house. What about conflicts with other officers? Miguel Fisetif. She mentioned that some of the older guys didn’t like taking orders from a young Latina woman, but she handled it professionally. Anyone specific? She never named names. Said she didn’t want to be seen as a troublemaker. She made notes.

Did she ever mention Captain Morrison? A few times. She respected him. Said he was fair. When she first made the complaint about harassment, Morrison told her he’d handle it. What harassment? Some of the guys were making comments, touching her inappropriately.

Linda filed a formal complaint about 2 weeks before she disappeared. Chun felt her pulse quicken. There was no mention of any harassment complaint in the case file. Mr. Rodriguez, did your sister keep copies of any paperwork from work, reports, memos, anything like that? She had a file at home. After she disappeared, I packed up her apartment. Everything’s in storage.

I need to see that file. 2 hours later, Chun met Miguel at a stored facility on the outskirts of San Antonio. Unit 47 contained the carefully preserved contents of Linda Rodriguez’s life, her furniture, her clothes, her books, and a metal filing cabinet. Miguel opened the cabinet’s top drawer. Inside were patrol reports, training certificates, and a manila folder labeled personal work issues. Shin opened the folder.

Inside were copies of incident reports Linda had filed, documentation of her harassment complaint, and a series of handwritten notes. The notes were dated from September and October 1991. She was keeping a record, Chun said, reading through the notes. The notes documented specific incidents.

Officer James Murphy making sexual comments during roll call. Sergeant Bill Foster accidentally brushing against her in the locker room. Detective Ray Coleman asking her out repeatedly despite her refusals. But the most disturbing entry was dated October 10th, 1991, 5 days before Linda disappeared.

Captain Morrison called me into his office today, said the harassment complaint was causing problems and maybe I should consider transferring to a different department. When I said I like patrol work, he said some jobs were better suited for men. I told him that was discriminatory. He said, “I should be careful about making accusations I couldn’t prove.

” Chin photographed every page of Linda’s notes. At the bottom of the folder was a carbon copy of Linda’s original harassment complaint dated September 28th, 1991. It named three officers specifically and requested a formal investigation. “This complaint isn’t in the official case file,” Chun told Miguel. “What does that mean? It means someone removed it and it means your sister was potentially a problem for several officers in the department.

Chin’s phone rang. It was the forensics coordinator at the construction site. Detective Chun, you need to get down here. We found something. 20 minutes later, Chun stood at the edge of a carefully excavated pit. 6 ft down, the forensics team had uncovered what appeared to be human remains wrapped in a police uniform.

female, approximately 25 years old, the medical examiner reported. Bullet wound to the skull. She’s been in the ground for at least 10 years, possibly longer. Miguel Rodriguez stared into the pit, his face pale, but resolute. Is it her? We’ll need dental records to confirm identity. The medical examiner held up a tarnished name plate.

This was pinned to the uniform. L. Rodriguez. Chun felt a cold anger building in her chest. Linda Rodriguez hadn’t drowned in the river. She’d been murdered and buried beneath a warehouse foundation. Her death covered up by the very people who were supposed to protect and serve.

Detective Miguel’s voice was horsearo. What happens now? Chin looked at the evidence bags containing Linda’s badge, her notes about harassment, and the bullet that had killed her. Now we find out who did this, and we make sure they pay for it. The construction site had become a crime scene. Yellow tape surrounded the excavation area.

Forensics photographers documented every detail. The medical examiner carefully removed Linda’s remains for transport to the morg. As Chun watched the process, she thought about the thin case file and the missing harassment complaint. Someone had worked very hard to make Linda Rodriguez disappear completely.

But after 13 years, Linda was finally going to tell her story. Detective Chun arrived at police headquarters early the next morning. She needed to examine personnel records from 1991, but she also needed to be careful. If Linda Rodriguez had been killed by someone in the department, Chin couldn’t trust anyone with her investigation. She started with the archives pulling employment records for everyone who had worked the night shift on October 15th, 1991. The list included 23 officers for sergeants and Captain Morrison.

Of the officers Linda had named in her harassment complaint, James Murphy had retired in 1995 and moved to Arizona. Bill Foster had been promoted to lieutenant and still worked downtown. Ray Coleman had left the force in 1993 and now work private security. She made copies of all the records and stored them in a locked drawer at her desk.

Then she drove to interview Charlie Vance, the homeless man who claimed to have seen Linda’s patrol car that night. She found Charlie at the downtown mission, older and more weathered than his 1991 photograph, but still lucid. I remember that night, Charlie said, sitting across from Chun in the mission’s interview room. Pretty lady cop saw her car by the river around midnight. What exactly did you see, Charlie? She was talking to someone. Another cop.

I think they were standing by her car having some kind of argument. Shun leaned forward. Another cop. Male or female? Male. Big guy. Older. Had one of them police hats with a shiny badge. A captain’s hat. Yeah, maybe. They were arguing about something. She seemed upset. Then I went to find somewhere to sleep. Did you hear what they were arguing about? Charlie shook his head. Too far away.

But she kept pointing at something like she was showing him some papers. What happened after that? Don’t know. Fell asleep under the bridge. Next morning, cops were everywhere asking questions about the lady officer. Shun showed Charlie a photograph of Captain Morrison from 1991.

Is this the man you saw talking to her? Charlie studied the photo carefully. Could be. It was dark and I’ve been drinking, but the size is right. and the age. She made detailed notes of Charlie’s statement. His testimony wouldn’t hold up in court by itself, but it corroborated the theory that Linda had met someone she knew before she was killed. Her next stop was the gun range where Linda had qualified for her service weapon.

The range master, Tom Bradley, had worked there since 1985. Linda Rodriguez. Sure, I remember her. Good shooter, very serious about training. She came in here the week before she disappeared. Actually, the week before for regular training. No, that was the strange thing.

She came in on her day off, wanted to practice with her backup weapon. Said she was worried about something. Did she say what? No, but she seemed nervous. Asked me about ballistics where the bullets could be traced to specific guns. Shun felt her pulse quicken. Did she seem afraid? more like determined, like she was preparing for something. Chen drove back to headquarters and pulled Linda’s weapons records.

According to department policy, officers were issued a primary service weapon and required to qualify with it quarterly. But Linda had also purchased a personal backup weapon, a 38 revolver in September 1991. The weapon had never been recovered. Chen’s phone rang. It was the medical examiner.

Detective Chun, I’ve got preliminary results on a Rodriguez remains. Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head. Close range. Small caliber, probably a 38. Any chance she was killed with her own backup weapon? Possible. I’ll know more when Ballistics completes their analysis. Chun hung up and stared at her growing pile of evidence.

Linda Rodriguez had filed a harassment complaint naming three officers. She had been threatened by Captain Morrison. She had purchased a backup weapon and practiced with the days before her death. She had met someone she knew by the river on the night she was killed. The pattern was becoming clear, but she needed more proof.

She drove to the address listed for Ray Coleman, the detective who had repeatedly asked Linda out despite her refusals. Coleman worked security for a downtown office building. Chun found him in the building security office. A heavy set man in his 50s with thinning hair and suspicious eyes. Ray Coleman, I’m Detective Chun, SAPD. I need to ask you about Linder Rodriguez. Coleman’s expression hardened. That was a long time ago. Not that long.

We found her body yesterday. Coleman sat down heavily in his chair. Found her body. I thought she drowned in the river. No, she was murdered. shot in the head and buried under a warehouse foundation. Jesus Christ. Coleman rubbed his face with both hands. I heard she disappeared. But murder? You were one of the officers she named in her harassment complaint. That harassment thing was blown out of proportion.

I asked her out a few times. So what? She said, “No, I backed off.” According to her notes, you didn’t back off. You kept pressuring her. Look, detective, I was going through a divorce. I wasn’t thinking straight, but I never threatened her. Never touched her inappropriately. Shin studied Coleman’s body language.

He seemed genuinely shocked by the news of Linda’s murder. Where were you on the night of October 15th, 1991? How the hell am I supposed to remember that? It was 13 years ago. It was the night a fellow officer disappeared. I’d think you’d remember. Coleman thought for a moment. I was off duty that night, probably at home or at a bar. I was drinking pretty heavily back then. Anyone who can verify that.

Not after 13 years. Shun left Coleman with her business card and instructions to call if he remembered anything else. His reaction seemed genuine, but she couldn’t rule him out completely. Her last stop of the day was Lieutenant Bill Foster’s office. Foster had been promoted twice since 1991 and now supervised the downtown patrol division. Foster was a tall man with graying hair and cold blue eyes.

He listened to Chin’s questions without expression. Linda Rodriguez. That takes me back. Tragic situation. You were named in her harassment complaint. A misunderstanding. I accidentally bumped into her in the locker room. She overreacted. She documented multiple incidents. She was oversensitive. Some women aren’t cut out for police work. Chun felt her anger rising but kept her voice level.

Where were you on the night she disappeared working? I was supervising the night shift that week. Can anyone verify that? Check the duty roster. I was here until 2:00 a.m. She made notes, but something in Foster’s tone bothered her. He was too calm, too prepared with his answers. Lieutenant, did you know about Linda’s backup weapon?

For the first time, Foster hesitated. backup weapon. She purchased a 38 revolver in September to 1991. It was never recovered. Officers buy personal weapons all the time. Nothing unusual about that. Chun left Foster’s office with more questions and answers, but she was beginning to see the outline of a conspiracy. Linda Rodriguez had been a problem from multiple people in the department.

Someone had decided to solve that problem permanently and someone with enough authority had covered it up for 13 years. Detective Chun spent the weekend reviewing phone record from October 1991. She had obtained a warrant for the department’s internal communications logs, looking for any unusual activity on a night Linda disappeared. What she found made her blood run cold. Between 11:30 p.m.

and 12:30 a.m. on October 15th, 1991, there had been a series of calls between Captain Morrison’s office, Lieutenant Fosters’s desk, and the dispatch center. The calls weren’t logged in the official record, but the phone company’s archives showed they had occurred. Shun spread the time

line across her dining room table. 11:47 p.m. Linda’s last radio contact. 11:52 p.m. Call from Morrison’s office to Fosters’s desk. 3 minutes. 12:07 a.m. Call from Fosters’s desk to dispatch center 2 minutes. 12:15 a.m. Call from dispatch center to Morrison’s office for minutes. 12:33 a.m. Call from Morrison’s office to Fosters’s desk. 7 minutes.

Someone had been coordinating something during the exact window when Linda Rodriguez disappeared. Monday morning, Chun drove to the dispatch center and asked to speak with Supervisor Maria Santos, who had worked the night shift in 1991. Maria, I need to ask you about the night officer Rodriguez disappeared. Do you remember anything unusual about the radio traffic? Maria, now in her 50s, thought carefully before answering.

That was a long time ago, detective, but I remember we lost contact with her car around midnight. Did anyone call the dispatch center that night? Captain Morrison or Lieutenant Foster? Maria’s expression changed. You know, there was something strange.

Lieutenant Foster called and asked me to switch Linda’s patrol area at the last minute. Said Captain Morrison had ordered it. Switch it to where? The warehouse district by the river. said there had been reports of breakins and she needed to check it out personally. Chun felt the pieces clicking into place.

Maria, was it unusual for supervisors to call in patrol changes at midnight? Very unusual. Normally, those changes go through the shift supervisor on duty. Who was the shift supervisor that night? Sergeant Dawson. But he wasn’t notified about the change. I remember because he was looking for Linda later and didn’t know she’d been reassigned. Shen drove straight to Frank Dawson’s house.

The retired sergeant lived in a modest home on the south side of town, tending a small garden in his front yard. Sergeant Dawson, Detective Chun, SAPD. I need to ask you about Linda Rodriguez. Dawson set down his gardening tools and looked at Chun with tired eyes. I wondered when someone would come asking about Linda.

Heard you found her body. You don’t seem surprised. I knew she didn’t drown in any river. Linda was too smart, too careful. Someone killed her. Why didn’t you speak up in 1991? Dawson sighed and sat down on his front steps.

Because I was 2 years from retirement and I had a family to support and because I knew I’d be fighting people with more power than me. What did you know? I knew Linda was causing problems for some people. She wouldn’t play along with the old boys club. She filed that harassment complaint and refused to withdraw it even when Morrison pressured her. Morrison pressured her to withdraw the complaint.

Called her in his office three times the week before she died. Told her she was making enemies, that her career would suffer if she didn’t back down. What else? The night she disappeared, I wasn’t notified about her patrol reassignment. Found out later that Foster had called dispatch directly. That wasn’t protocol. Did Foster have authority to do that? Technically, yes, but it was unusual.

And why try to raise Linda on the radio after midnight? Foster told me to stop trying, said Morrison had ordered radio silence for her sector. She made detailed notes. Sergeant, do you think Foster Morrison were working together? I think Morrison was protecting his department from scandal and Foster was protecting himself.

Linda’s harassment complaint named Foster specifically. If that complaint went forward, it would have destroyed his career. What about the other officer she named? Murphy was Morrison’s golf buddy. Coleman was just a drunk who couldn’t keep his mouth shut. But Foster, Foster was ambitious.

He wanted Morrison’s job when a captain retired. Chun felt the network of complicity becoming clear. Morrison had wanted to protect the department’s reputation. Foster had wanted to protect his career. Together, they had the authority and access needed to arrange Linda’s death and cover it up. Sergeant, would you be willing to testify about what you know? Dawson looked at his house, his garden, his quiet retirement.

Detective, I should have spoken up 13 years ago. I should have fought for Linda then. If my testimony can help bring her killers to justice now, then yes, I’ll testify. Chin’s next stop was the medical examiner’s office. Dr. Patricia Williams had completed the full autopsy and ballistics analysis. The bullet that killed Linda Rodriguez came from a 38 caliber revolver, Dr.

Williams reported. But here’s the interesting part. It matches the ballistic signature of her own backup weapon. She was killed with her own gun almost certainly. The bullet fragmentation pattern and powder burns suggest the weapon was fired at close range, probably while pressed against her head. Chun studied the ballistics report.

So, someone took her gun and executed her with it. That’s my assessment. And detective, there’s something else. I found defensive wounds on her hands and arms. She fought back. Any foreign DNA under her fingernails? The remains are too degraded for DNA analysis. But the bone damage suggests she struck her attacker at least once.

Chun left the medical examiner’s office with a clear picture of Linda’s final moments. She had been lured to the warehouse district, confronted by someone she knew and forced to give up her backup weapon. She had fought for her life before being executed.

That evening, Chin called Miguel Rodriguez to update him on the investigation’s progress. We’re building a strong case, Mr. Rodriguez, but I need to warn you, this is going to get dangerous. The people who killed your sister have spent 13 years covering up their crime. They won’t give up easily. Detective, I’ve been waiting 13 years for answers. I’m not backing down now. Good, because we’re going to need your help to set a trap. Shin explained her plan.

If Morrison and Foster were responsible for Linda’s death, they would be nervous about the renewed investigation. If they thought Miguel Rodriguez had found additional evidence, they might try to silence him, too. Are you asking me to be bait? I’m asking you to help us catch your sister’s killers, but only if you’re willing to take the risk.

Miguel was quiet for a long moment. Linda never backed down from a fight. Neither will I. Shin hung up the phone and stared at the evidence board she had created in her spare bedroom. Photos of Linda Rodriguez, timeline charts, phone records, and witness statements covered every available surface.

Tomorrow, she would set her plan in motion. After 13 years, Linda Rodriguez was finally going to get justice. Detective Chun met Miguel Rodriguez at a downtown coffee shop to explain the details of her plan. She needed him to contact Lieutenant Foster and Captain Morrison’s retirement home in Florida, claiming he had found additional evidence among Linda’s belongings.

“The key is to make them believe you found something that directly implicates them,” Chin explained. something they thought was destroyed 13 years ago. What kind of evidence? Tell them you found a tape recording. Say Linda had been secretly recording conversations with her supervisors about the harassment complaint. Miguel stirred his coffee nervously.

What if they don’t believe me? They’ll believe you because they’ll be desperate to know what you have. Morrison especially will want to control the situation. Shin had positioned surveillance teams around Miguel’s house and workplace. She had also obtained warrants to monitor Fosters’s communications and track Morrison’s movements if he traveled back to Texas. Miguel, once you make these calls, there’s no going back. These men killed your sister to protect their secrets.

They won’t hesitate to kill again. I understand the risks, detective. What do you need me to say exactly? Shun handed him a script she had prepared. Stick to this as closely as possible. The goal is to get them to meet with you in person.

Miguel practiced the conversation several times before Chan felt confident he could deliver it convincingly. That afternoon, Miguel called Lieutenant Foster’s office. Lieutenant Foster, this is Miguel Rodriguez, Linda Rodriguez’s brother. What do you want, Rodriguez? I’ve been going through Linda’s belongings again, and I found something I think you should know about.

It was a long pause. What kind of something? A tape recorder with conversations recorded in the weeks before she disappeared. Conversations with her supervisors about her harassment complaint. That’s impossible. Your sister never recorded any conversations. How would you know that, Lieutenant? Unless you were one of the people on the tape. Foster’s voice became cold and controlled. Mr.

Rodriguez, I think you’re confused about what you found. I’m not confused. I have Linda’s voice talking about specific incidents, naming specific people. I also have responses from those people, including you. Where are these supposed tapes now? Safe. But I thought you should know before I turn them over to internal affairs.

Wait, don’t do anything hasty. Maybe we should meet and discuss this. Miguel followed Chen’s script perfectly. I don’t think we have anything to discuss, Lieutenant. Look, Rodriguez, there might be some misunderstanding about what happened back then. Why don’t you bring the tapes to my office tomorrow? We can listen to them together and clarify any confusion.

I don’t think so. I’ll be calling internal affairs in the morning. Miguel hung up and immediately called Shun. He took the bait. He wants to meet tomorrow. Perfect. Now call Morrison. Miguel dialed the Florida retirement community where Morrison lived. It took several minutes for the staff to locate him.

Captain Morrison, this is Miguel Rodriguez, Linda Rodriguez’s brother. Rodriguez, what do you want? I’m retired. I found some evidence among Linda’s belongings. Evidence that shows what really happened to her. Morrison’s voice sharpened. What kind of evidence? Tape recordings. Linda was secretly recording conversations in the weeks before she disappeared.

Conversations about her harassment complaint and the pressure to withdraw it. That’s impossible, is it? Because I have your voice on one of these tapes, Captain. You’re telling my sister that her complaint is causing problems and she needs to make it disappear. Morrison was quiet for almost a minute. Son, I think you’re misunderstanding what you found. I understand perfectly. Linda was documenting everything.

She knew someone was going to try to silence her. Where are these tapes now? Safe, but I’m planning to turn them over to the current investigators. Don’t do that. Not yet. Give me 24 hours to get back to San Antonio. We should meet and discuss this situation. There’s nothing to discuss, Captain. Yes, there is. Your sister’s case was complicated. There were factors you don’t understand.

If you turn over partial evidence without context, innocent people could be hurt. Miguel almost broke character at the mention of innocent people. But Shun had prepared him for this response. The only innocent person in this situation was Linda, and she’s dead. Just give me 24 hours, Rodriguez. Meet with me before you go to internal affairs. I’ll explain everything.

Miguel agreed to meet Morrison the following evening, then called Chin immediately. He’s flying back to San Antonio. He wants to meet tomorrow night. Excellent. By tomorrow evening, we should have both of them committed to face-toface meetings. Chin spent the rest of the day coordinating with the surveillance teams and preparing recording equipment.

Miguel would wear a wire during both meetings and backup officers would be positioned nearby. That evening, Lieutenant Foster called Miguel’s home number. Rodriguez, I’ve been thinking about our conversation today. What about it? I want to make you an offer. I’ll pay you $50,000 for those tapes. Miguel looked at Chun, who was monitoring the call. She nodded encouragingly. $50,000. That’s a lot of money for some old recordings.

They could be taken out of context. Your sister was upset. Probably misunderstood some conversations. I don’t want my reputation damaged by misinterpretations. My sister didn’t misunderstand anything. Lieutenant, she documented harassment because she was being harassed. Look, Rodriguez, I made some mistakes back then.

I was going through a divorce, drinking too much, but I never hurt your sister. Then why are you trying to buy evidence? Foster’s voice became more aggressive. Because that evidence could destroy my career over some stupid comments I made 13 years ago. I’m offering you more money than you’ll see in 5 years. Take it. I need to think about it. Don’t think too long. My offer expires tomorrow. After Foster hung up, Chun smiled grimly. Perfect.

You just confessed to harassment and attempted bribery. We have him on tape offering to buy evidence in a murder investigation. Miguel looked shaken by the conversation. Detective, what if they figure out this is a setup? Then we’ll be ready for them, but I don’t think they will. They’re panicking, making desperate decisions.

Desperate people make mistakes. Chun reviewed the surveillance arrangements one more time. Miguel would meet Foster at a restaurant downtown at lunchtime, then meet Morrison at a park near the river at 8:00 p.m. Both locations were covered by multiple surveillance teams. Remember, Miguel, your job is to get them talking.

Let them think they can convince you to destroy the evidence. The more they say, the more they’ll incriminate themselves. What if they want to hear the actual recordings? Tell them you didn’t bring the tapes because you don’t trust them. say the recordings are in a safe deposit box and you’re the only one who knows the location.

Miguel nodded though could see he was nervous. Detective, do you really think they killed Linda? I think they were both involved. Yes. Morrison had the authority to reassign her patrol route and order radio silence. Foster had the motive. Linda’s harassment complaint could have destroyed his career.

Together, they had the means and opportunity. What about the other officers Linda named? Murphy and Coleman were probably just harassment, not murder. But Foster, Morrison, they’re the ones with power, the ones who could arrange a cover up. Shin looked at her watch. It was almost midnight.

In less than 18 hours, they would either have confessions from Linda’s killers, or they would be facing two very dangerous men who knew they had been trapped. Either way, Linda Rodriguez would finally get the justice she deserved. Detective Chun arrived at the surveillance command post at 10:00 a.m. The converted van was parked three blocks from the restaurant where Miguel Rodriguez would meet Lieutenant Foster at noon.