Chapter 9 - THE AUDIT'S CONCLUSIONThree days later, the official federal audit of the Westbridge Police Department concluded with a scathing public report broadcast live across state news networks.
The findings were devastating: systematic corruption, falsification of evidence, unlawful detention, and municipal conspiracy. The entire command staff was permanently stripped of their badges and certifications, and the Department of Justice announced a comprehensive federal receivership takeover of the local precinct.
I stood on the front steps of the county courthouse, the crisp autumn wind catching the lapels of my trench coat as reporters thrust microphones in my face.
"Agent Vance! Can you comment on your brother’s involvement in the municipal real estate conspiracy?" a reporter shouted from the front row.
"The rule of law applies equally to everyone," I said into the bank of microphones, my voice steady and resolute. "No badge, no political connection, and no family relation shields anyone from accountability. Justice is blind, and it is absolute."
With that, I stepped through the media scrum and walked back to my car.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a message from the county hospital.
Patient Helena Vance is cleared for discharge. Ready for pickup.
May you like
A genuine smile—the first real one in days—finally touched the corners of my mouth.
I started the engine and drove straight to the hospital.
