"I've got a meeting." The garden c center's parking lot was empty except for a beat up pickup truck. Aaron parked behind it, scanning for surveillance. Ramirez emerged from behind a stack of mulch bags carrying a black duffel bag. I had to wait until Miller's shift ended, Ramirez said, his voice low. "He's been watching me like a hawk." Aaron took the bag, unzipping it carefully.
Inside lay Miller's backup service weapon wrapped in an evidence bag. The ballistics will match Marcus' wounds. Ramirez nodded. Miller switched weapons after the shooting. Reported this one stolen 2 days later, but I found it in his locker last night.
There's more, too. He pulled out a thick Manila envelope. Internal affairs reports, witness statements that got buried, and Miller's personal notebook. The things he wrote about your brother, about the community." Ramirez's voice cracked. "I should have done something sooner." "You're doing something now," Aaron said firmly.
"That counts." Back at the house, Sarah examined the new evidence with growing excitement. "This is it," she said, holding up Miller's notebook. His own words prove premeditation and racial bias. Combined with the financial records and deleted complaints. Marcus Johnson looked up from his laptop.
I've got the entire chain of coverups mapped out. Chief Thompson, the police union president, even two city council members. They're all implicated. Aaron's secure phone buzzed again. Ghost 6 here.
We found their blackmail files. They've been extorting business owners, witnesses, even other cops. Sending everything to your secure server now. Sarah gathered the most crucial documents into her briefcase. I'm meeting Gloria Washington in an hour.
Best civil rights attorney in three states. She's been waiting for a case like this. Aaron's mother brought more coffee, her hands steady now. Marcus always said the truth would come out, she murmured. He believed in justice, even at the end.
The sun was fully up as Sarah prepared to leave. The evidence they'd gathered overnight filled three boxes and two encrypted hard drives. Aaron helped load everything into her car. This is more than just Miller now, Sarah said, her eyes bright with purpose. This is about dismantling a whole system of corruption.
Are you ready for that fight? Aaron thought of Marcus, of Sharon's tears, of all the families who'd suffered in silence. More than ready, Sarah patted his arm. Gloria's office opens at 8. By noon, we'll have a legal team assembled.
By tonight, she smiled for the first time in days. Well, let's just say some people in Eastridge won't be sleeping well. Through the kitchen window, Aaron could see his mother hugging Marcus Johnson. Both of them crying and laughing at once. The weight of the evidence they'd gathered, the strength of the allies they'd assembled.