Free Accused by Janice Cantore

arrived early, using the extra time to review the watch report, which summarized the major happenings in the city for all three watches, and any outstanding BOLOs, or be-on-the-lookout postings. When working the streets, it paid to be informed and prepared. The same urgency didn’t exist now that she was stuck behind a desk. But with the mayor’s murder on her front burner, she felt an urgency to get to work.
    “I’ll check,” Martin said. He headed back to the secure records area, and Carly followed, working on smoothing her generally noncompliant tangle of hair as she went. Since juvenile was not a uniformed assignment and she didn’t have to keep her hair off the collar, she’d let it grow. Sometimes the extra time it took making herself presentable left her wondering if it was worth the bother.
    “Here you go. This terminal is free.” Martin pointed to an empty workstation. “What do you have going on?”
    “I wanted to pull up a report package and do some investigation mapping. Thanks.”
    “No problem. Call me if you need any help.” Martin left Carly to her work.
    She tapped on the keyboard to log on. The crime scene she’d viewed the day before cued up in her mind. Straightforward and puzzling at the same time, Teresa Burke’s last public appearance in the trunk of her car left Carly much to ponder. A computer search would hopefully reveal any bit about the murder she’d missed. Whatever she found, the next stop would be homicide detail. Carly wanted to sit down with Drake and discuss the investigation and, hopefully, her role in said investigation.
    The proper screens began popping up. Carly made a vow as she clicked around. All I’m going to concentrate on in the next few days is this murder. Not Nick, not juvenile exile, not anything else. It’s real police work time. I’ll force Captain Garrison to consider letting me go back to patrol.
    The report request prompt flashed on the screen, and she typed in the report number, fidgeting anxiously in her chair while the cursor blinked. Much to her surprise, the computer responded with No record found for given search information .
    “Hey, Martin,” Carly called down the corridor. Martin leaned over his desk to look her way. “Why can’t I pull up this report?” she asked.
    “Um, nothing’s going on to slow the system down,” he said as he walked to Carly’s station. She handed him the number and watched while he tried to bring up a copy. He had the same luck.
    “What type of report?”
    “Teresa Burke’s 187.”
    Martin stood and shook his head. “Oh, that was deleted for security reasons. The chief didn’t want to take a chance on any unauthorized individual getting copies. Hackers got into the sheriff’s system two months ago and embarrassed a lot of people. I guess if you want one, you’ll have to talk to someone in homicide. I think I saw Drake head up there earlier.”
    Carly shut the computer down and jogged to the stairwell. She took the stairs to the second floor two at a time.
    Carly skidded to a stop at the door to the homicide office. “Hey, Sarge.” Sergeant B. K. Tucker sat at his desk just inside the office. She hadn’t expected to see anyone but Drake. Sergeants rarely worked overtime. The city screamed too much about the budget.
    “Hello, Edwards, you get off on the wrong floor?” He closed the file he’d been reading and regarded her with a faint smile.
    “Nope, came up here for a copy of the Burke 187 report. Also, I’ve heard there’s a follow-up with some information I’d like to read.”
    Tucker’s smile faded, a stone cop face taking its place. He glanced toward the back of the office. Carly followed his gaze and saw Drake standing by his desk, an indefinable expression on his face.
    “Carly, I’m afraid the investigation is off limits.” The sergeant spoke slowly as if he were talking to a three-year-old. “You helped us out with the minor, and we appreciate that, but the rest of it is up to my