My stomach drops. I grip the armrest of the chair. “Yeah, I know her. She’s Alice’s mother.”
“Alice being the victim when you arrested Lance Carlston?”
“Yes, sir.”
Chief opens the file and reads from it. “Ms. Campbell claims you overstepped your authority. Says the arrest was personal, that your relationship with her daughter influenced your judgment.”
I keep my expression neutral, but inside I’m furious. “Chief, I witnessed him committing multiple crimes. The GPS tracker we found backs up months of stalking. The arrest was by the book.”
“I know. I read your report.” Chief leans back in his chair. “The problem is, this complaint raises questions about your objectivity.”
“My objectivity?”
“You’re personally involved with the victim, Sawyer. That can complicate things legally and professionally.”
Here we go.“I did my job. I arrested a man who was committing assault, breaking and entering, and stalking. Any officer would have done the same.”
“I believe you. But perception matters, especially when it comes to promotions.” Chief’s expression is grim. “Your sergeant exam is coming up. The review board is going to look at everything in your file, including complaints.”
My jaw clenches. Years of work, down the drain because I did my job. Because I’d been so focused on protecting Alice that I hadn’t thought about how this might affect my career.
“There’s something else,” Chief continues. “You remember those rumors about you and Nora from a few years back?”
I shift in my seat. “Yeah. They were just rumors. Nothing happened between me and Nora.”
“I know, but rumors have a way of sticking around, especially in a town this size. And now, with this complaint about your relationship with Alice affecting your professional judgment…” He lets the sentence hang.
“You think it will look like a pattern.”
“I think the review board will see what they want to see. And if Tracy Campbell keeps making noise about this, it could hurt your chances significantly.” His voice softens slightly. “I don’t want something like this to derail all your hard work.”
I stare at the complaint file. Tracy Campbell is trying to destroy my career because I arrested her daughter’s abuser. The woman would rather see Alice hurt than admit Lance did anything wrong.What kind of mother does that?
“What’s Tracy’s connection to Lance, anyway?” I ask.
“She works for his family’s real estate company. Has for years, from what I understand. She seems pretty invested in defending him.”
Of course.
“So what now, Chief?”
“Keep your head down. Do your job. And maybe think about keeping some distance from Alice, at least until after the promotion review.”
For one second—just one—I consider it. Everything I've worked for since Lila died, gone because of Tracy Campbell's vendetta. The sergeant position, the respect, proving I'm more than the guy who couldn't save his marriage.
Then I think about Alice pressed against that bookshelf yesterday, terrified. The bruises on her wrist. Her mother's voice on the phone, cold and dismissive.
The suggestion hits me like a punch to the gut. I'm on my feet before I realize I've stood up. “You want me to stay away from her because her mother filed a bogus complaint against me?”
“I want you to be smart about this. You’ve worked too hard to let politics derail your career.”
The complaint file still sits on his desk. “With respect, Chief, I'm not going to let Tracy Campbell intimidate me into abandoning someone who needs protection.”
“Sawyer—”
“Lance Carlston was stalking Alice for months. He put a tracker on her car, broke into her home, and physically assaulted her. If doing my job makes me look unprofessional, then so be it.”
Chief studies me for a long moment. “I admire your principles, Edwards. But principles don’t always pay the bills.”
