Chapter 21 - The Photograph from Thirty Years Ago
Officer Marcus Hale remained motionless, staring at the faded photograph projected onto the conference room screen.
His father.
The image was unmistakable.
Although the picture had clearly been taken decades earlier, there was no denying the resemblance. His father, Thomas Hale, stood beside four other men outside an old courthouse building, all smiling as if celebrating the end of an important case.
Judge Richard Lawson stood in the center.
To Lawson's right was a much younger Judge Collins.
Behind them stood Steven Marshall's father, Harold Marshall, who had once served as a senior court administrator.
Marcus slowly spoke.
"My father never worked for Family Court."
Detective Susan Ortega looked at him.
"What did he do?"
"Homicide."
Everyone fell silent.
Marcus had spent years believing his father investigated violent crimes until his sudden death twenty-two years earlier during what police officially classified as a traffic accident.
Now, seeing Thomas Hale standing beside the very people connected to Rachel's case, Marcus began questioning everything he thought he knew.
The Digital Forensics analyst enlarged the photograph.
"There are handwritten notes on the back."
He adjusted the image until faint pencil marks became visible.
Only part of the writing could be recovered.
Project...
Children...
Protection...
The remaining words had faded beyond recognition.
Rachel watched Marcus carefully.
"You think your father knew something."
Marcus answered quietly.
"I think he found something."
Detective Ortega immediately contacted the Police Historical Archives.
"I want every investigation Thomas Hale worked during his final five years."
The archivist hesitated.
"Those records aren't in storage anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"They disappeared."
The room became silent.
"Disappeared?"
"They were requested years ago by Special Administrative Review."
"Who authorized that?"
"We're checking."
Minutes later another message arrived.
Authorization unavailable. Record permanently sealed.
Marcus slowly lowered the phone.
"My father's last investigations were erased."
Rachel whispered,
"Just like my court file."
No one replied.
May you like
The similarities were becoming impossible to ignore.
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